
History of Holland Village
Before 1900, Holland Village was originally a kampong occupied by plantations, nurseries and farms. The village was later named after Holland Road, which in turn was named after an early Dutch resident, Hugh Holland. In fact, all the roads within the area – Holland Drive, Holland Avenue and Holland Close are named indirectly after him.
Later, during the 1950s, Chip Bee Gardens was redeveloped into an exclusive private residential area for members of the British army. Over time, the precinct attracted more expatriates including middle and upper class expat families.
What’s in it?
Once a kampong filled with plantations and nurseries, Holland Village now boasts plenty of artisanal coffee shops and trendy restaurants and drinking spots, earning itself a reputation as one of Singapore’s hottest lifestyle destinations.
Over the years, the area has been developed extensively and is now home to three shopping malls: Raffles Holland V Mall, Holland Road Shopping Centre and Holland Piazza.
Looking ahead, it’ll continue to see new additions, such as a new mixed-use development, a community park and more pedestrian walkways, which will enhance an area that is already widely regarded as a successful enclave, but will not change its character.
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In the next 10 years
While Holland Village seems to be an area that has it all, offering a wide variety of dining and lifestyle options, it is set for more buzz. The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) draft Master Plan 2014 revealed that Holland Village will be further developed as an “identity node”, which means it will not lose the charm and ambience that entice so many visitors and residents.
A new extension adjacent to Holland Village, right behind Lorong Mambong, has been earmarked for a new mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development that will add to the vibrancy of Holland Village as a great place to live, work and play. A new street, Holland Way, will also be created.
The 23,000 sq m new extension which will take up to seven years to complete, will add another 570 private residential units.
By expanding the area with more mixed-use developments, fine-grained intimate streets, public spaces, diverse retail and F&B offerings, local residents and visitors alike can enjoy and better appreciate the unique charm of Holland Village. A new road linking Holland Avenue to Holland Drive will also be built to provide access to a new underground parking station while diverting vehicular traffic away from the centre of Holland Village.
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With more homes being built in Holland Village, the neighbourhood is expected to become popular among investors and home buyers. A main draw of Holland Village is its proximity to One North. The One North area is home to plenty of offices, located within Fusionopolis, Biopolis and the JTC LaunchPad. This will provide investment opportunities for those who wish to invest in an area with strong rental potential. And for those who own businesses in Holland Village, they are likely to see an increase in pedestrian traffic.
At present, Holland Village’s biggest market group are young locals and expatriates, while, with the new mixed-use development and depending on the tenant mix, it should enlarge Holland Village’s catchment area.
The mixed-use development will offer more retail and dining options to reinforce the area’s buzz, while also providing select residences for those who wish to live in the heart of Holland Village.
The quality of the public realm is central to the new extension of Holland Village with a network of pedestrianised streets and public spaces that connect seamlessly with the surrounding lorongs and the housing estate beyond. The development will build on and reinforce the continued success of Holland Village while creating new community spaces for people to gather and interact.