News Releases

26 JUNE 2003

1. Garden living in the city - this is the plan the Urban Redevelopment Authority has in store for Pearl's Hill. The URA is proposing a variety of housing types for Pearl's Hill and the nearby York Hill, from stepped hillside housing to high-rise apartment blocks. Altogether, some 5,500 dwelling units have been planned on these two hills.



2. Also coming up - two parks at Pearl's Hill for all to enjoy. Pearl's Hill City Park today is under-utilised as not many people live in the area and it is also not so visible or accessible to the general public. The plan is to encourage more people to enjoy the lush greenery of Pearl's Hill City Park by making it more attractive and accessible.



3. The Park will be reconfigured into a smaller hilltop park and a mid-level park. The more accessible mid-level park will be a place for those who like outdoor activities while the Hilltop Park, with a 19^th century service reservoir, will offer a quieter, more tranquil ambience amidst lush greenery. The mid-level park will extend towards Outram MRT station and make the park more accessible to the public.



4. The mid-level and hilltop parks will be part of a green necklace, consisting of parks and park connectors, linking Duxton Plain Park through Pearl's Hill and York Hill to Singapore River.
   

Garden Living at Pearl's Hill

5. High-density, medium-rise stepped-housing will be introduced along the mid-level park to create a garden living setting for residents.



6. To enhance proximity to the park, development control guidelines can be modified so that residential facilities such as lap pools and garden decks can stretch closer to the park, bringing the park right to the doorstep.



7. To ensure views towards the park and a sense of openness, housing facing the mid-level park are maintained at 16 and 12 storeys, stepping down to 6 storeys. Room and balconies at the upper levels could project over the parks or street below for breathtaking views.
   

High-rise living at York Hill

8. York Hill will offer Singaporeans housing with views of the city and the hilly terrain, through a new unique hybrid housing form of a skyscraper and "groundscraper", or garden-nestled housing hugging the hilly grounds.



9. To improve connectivity between York Hill and Pearl's Hill, a park connector will provide residents with easy access from York Hill to the mid-level park and hilltop park on Pearl's Hill. As York Hill and Pearl's Hill are divided by the CTE tunnel, a landscaped deck will be built over part of the CTE tunnel to provide seamless connection between the two hills.
   

Keeping the Old and the Beautiful

10. The 19^th century service reservoir set amidst the Hilltop Park adds character to the place and lends an old-world charm to the hill. Two neo-classical buildings and a bungalow on Pearl's Hill, formerly occupied by the Police Force are proposed for conservation. These buildings could be integrated with new buildings and adapted for modern day uses, extending the buzz from nearby Eu Tong Sen Street.
    

Realising our plans

11. Land will be available for residential development in phases. The first land parcel can be made available for sale within the next 5 years subject to market demand.



12. The site boundary of URA's proposals for Pearl's Hill does not include the existing public housing at York Hill and Chin Swee Estate. The HDB blocks will remain unaffected by URA's plans.



13. The URA envisages that Pearl's Hill could be fully developed in 15 to 20 years. By then, the area will be an appealing residential enclave, offering city living amid the lush parks of Pearl's Hill.
    

URA welcomes feedback

14. Ideas for Pearl's Hill is part of the ideas presented in "Our City Centre: A great place to Live, Work and Play!" exhibition, held from 26 June to 16 July 2003. The exhibition presents URA's ideas and strategies to enhance the City Centre. Opening hours are: Mon - Fri, 8.30 am - 7 pm; Sat, 8.30 am - 4.30 pm; closed on Sundays and public holidays. The exhibition is also available online on URA's website at www.ura.gov.sg.



15. URA welcomes the public to give their feedback on the plans, by filling up the feedback form available at the exhibition or online via the URA website.