HDB has unveiled its masterplan for the Mount Pleasant area, with about 6,000 new flats planned, according to a press release on Monday (Sept 1).

The number ofnew flats is up from the previous figure of 5,000 announced in July 2023, while the number of BTO projects within the 33 ha site has decreased from six to four.

National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said: "This will provide more housing options for Singaporeans and better support young families who wish to live near their parents for mutual care and support."

Come October, the first BTO project, Mount Pleasant Crest, will be launched with about 1,350 units of two-room Flexi to four-room flats, alongside 270 units of public rental flats.

More details on the project will be announced during the sales exercise in October, while the remaining three projects will be progressively launched in the years ahead.

Integrating heritage

This Mount Pleasant site was where the Old Police Academy (OPA) was located between 1929 and 2005.

HDB worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Heritage Board to engage multiple heritage groups in a study of the region.

Following this, six buildingswere conserved for representing police heritage, of which four will be repurposed for alternative uses such as a neighbourhood police post and a heritage gallery for the Singapore Police Force.

 

Of the remaining two blocks, one will continue as the Senior Police Officers' Mess, while the other will be integrated into future developments, HDB said.

Although the site has to make way for the BTO projects, some significant structures of the OPA will receive a new lease of life.

Starter blocks from its swimming pool will be repurposed as seating at the drop-off porch, while trusses and columns from the Old Drill Shed will be re-used in the precinct pavilion, according to HDB.

Also, roads in the area will be named with reference to the area's heritage of the OPA.

A space to call home

Mount Pleasant Crest will also see flat buyers being offered a choice to opt for the white flat layout — an open-concept layout where living and bedroom spaces are without partition walls.

This is the second time white flat layouts have been made available, the first being a pilot at Crawford Heights BTO in 2024.

Mount Pleasant, which HDB promises to be car-lite, will be accessible via the new Mount Pleasant MRT station along the Thomson-East Coast Line.

Transit Priority Corridors will also feature dedicated bus lanes as well as wider footpaths and cycling paths for residents.

The upcoming Toa Payoh Integrated Development will also be a one-stop shop for residents' retail and dining needs.

More information on the plans for Mount Pleasant will be available at the exhibition to be held at HDB Hub from Sept 24.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com