Pasir Ris 8 is an upcoming 487-unit mixed-used development located right next to Pasir Ris MRT on the East-West Line (EWL) and above the Pasir Ris Bus Interchange. Read our review here.
Continue Reading ⋅ 28 July 2021
Developer: MCC Land
Location: Canberra Link
District: 27
Tenure: 99 years leasehold
Site area: 16,690 sq m / 179,651 sq ft
Canberra – the new belle in the north for property, with executive condos, BTOs and other private residential projects being launched left, right, and centre, in recent years.
The former “area between Yishun and Sembawang” has really come into its own. There’s a new MRT station to its name (Canberra MRT station opened on 2 November 2019), recent housing and landscaping developments, and the building of many more amenities for the area.
Canberra is also just a stone’s throw away from Singapore’s only hot spring.
Read more: Will Canberra MRT kickstart a property fairytale?
One of the latest property projects coming up in Canberra is a second site at Canberra Link, by developer MCC Land. For now, the working name is “Canberra Link EC” — but it’s not to be confused with another executive condominium project just beside it (that’s now officially named Parc Canberra EC and being developed by Hoi Hup and Sunway).
It was announced in July 2019 that out of the eight bids received, MCC Land clinched the Canberra Link EC site with a bid of $233.89 million ($566 psf ppr) — just $0.95 more per square feet than the second bid in line, $233.5 million by CDL Constellation and TID Residential. The breakeven price is an estimated $1,100 to $1,150 psf.
Having the top bids so close to each other is also pretty good news for property buyers as there’s no artificial inflation due to a bidding war.
As of now, the new EC at Canberra Link by MCC Land is pending sales approval and will be launched in Q1 2021. The EC will sit on a nice 16,690 sq m plot of land, and will yield about 385 units. Expected TOP is 2024.
The new Canberra Link EC may be smaller than the adjacent Parc Canberra EC project, which comes in at 18,040.6 sq m and will yield about 495 units… but as they say, size doesn’t matter. Each EC project has its own unique perks and appeal.
Project Details
Canberra Link EC facilities
Nothing has been released on Canberra Link EC’s facilities as of now, but judging from MCC Land’s NorthWave EC near Admiralty MRT station, and Forestville EC in Woodlands, expect a themed-living experience suited to the geography of the location.
Following in the footsteps of recent EC developments, expect lush landscaped spaces, a clubhouse, sport/recreational facilities, luxurious and smart fittings in each unit, and likely a penthouse option to choose from.
Do bookmark this page and check back soon for updates on the new Canberra Link EC’s facilities!
Location
Address: Junction of Canberra Link and Sembawang Road
Nearest MRT: Canberra MRT
Nearest Bus Interchange: Sembawang Bus Interchange
Close to Canberra MRT
The closest MRT station has to be Canberra, which is about seven to 10 minutes’ by foot. But with the likelihood of linkways and other walkways being built, the walk will be a cool, sheltered one. The same would probably go for the 15-minute walk to Sembawang bus interchange, which passes by the iconic Old Admiralty House that’s steeped in Singapore heritage.
Read also: Canberra: Small, yet significant
Connected to Canberra MRT station is the new Canberra Plaza, which will be opening its doors soon. This shopping destination has 39 retail and dining outlets, which include A&W, McDonald’s, KFC, Starbucks, NTUC FairPrice, YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea (aka bubble tea) and Daiso. The new mall also has a water play park, a community plaza and community gardens.
This new mall joins other stalwart shopping centre offerings in the area, such as Sun Plaza, Sembawang Shopping Centre and Northpoint City.
There’s also the upcoming Bukit Canberra
We’re also looking forward to the completion of Bukit Canberra in 2021, Sembawang’s integrated sport and community hub. This 12ha space (the size of 20 football fields) will have a hawker centre, indoor and outdoor sport facilities, a senior care centre, polyclinic, community farming green spaces and other lifestyle amenities.
Bukit Canberra will also boast the largest ActiveSG gym to date at 16,146 sq ft, with indoor and outdoor pools and a 500-seater indoor sports hall. There will be 3km of running trails, and even a “fruit orchard” and “fruit forest” are in the works.
Not forgetting to reflect on its roots, heritage story boards will be set up around Bukit Canberra. Learn about the area when it was a former naval base and historic structures such as the Old Admiralty House that once housed key military commanders based here.
Another exciting development is the revamp of Montreal Green Park, slated to be completed in 2021. There’ll likely be a heritage corner, sculptured garden, butterfly garden, interactive playgrounds designed to stimulate children’s senses, and of course, fitness corners.
However, residents who don’t particularly like noise may want to purchase units facing inwards, as units facing Sembawang Road will be overlooking the park. Truth be told, I don’t mind looking outward at a green space, but the dust and traffic noises from the road might be bothersome as well.
Other amenities that need no introduction include the Sembawang Hot Springs Park, and the waterfront-facing Sembawang Park.
Read more: 8 Reasons Why Watercove Is The Home For You
Although Sembawang isn’t yet considered a mature HDB town, it has tons of amenities and a whole slew of schools in the neighbourhood. The nearest major medical facility, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, is relatively nearby in Yishun.
Located in the north, transport links can be better, but this would improve once the Thomson-East Coast Line from Woodlands is linked to central Singapore by 2023, and a possible rail link from north to east Singaporethat’s under consideration.
Accessibility will improve with the North-South Corridor
In addition, when the 21.5km-long North-South Corridor opens in 2026, the new expressway will link residents in Woodlands, Sembawang, Canberra, Yishun and Ang Mo Kio to Singapore’s central business district. This could reduce travelling time by up to 30 minutes…barring any traffic jams.
The North-South Corridorwill also feature dedicated bus lanes and cycling trunk routes with links to park connectors and dedicated cycling paths within the HDB towns along the corridor. This means quicker journeys by bus and great news for cycling enthusiasts!
Nearby schools:
Canberra Primary School, Chongfu Primary School, Endeavour Primary School, Sembawang Primary School, Wellington Primary School, Xishan Primary School, Yishun Primary School, Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School, Northland Secondary School, Yishun Secondary School, Yishun Town Secondary School, Yishun Innova Junior College
Other nearby amenities:
Bukit Canberra (upcoming), Canberra Community Club, Canberra Plaza (new), Jalan Sendudok Park, Montreal Green Park (revamp to be completed in 2021), Northpoint City Shopping Centre, Sembawang Community Club, Sembawang Hot Spring Park, Sembawang Park. Sembawang Shopping Centre, Sun Plaza, Yishun Neighbourhood Park
Analysis
Canberra Link EC price
Prices for the new Canberra Link EC aren’t out yet, but we have a few yardsticks for comparison.
- We mentioned earlier that the breakeven price is an estimated $1,100 to $1,150 psf. So we can probably calculate from there.
- We can also look at the going prices for the adjacent Parc Canberra EC as a guide. Prices for that development start at $855k for a 3-bedder and psf in the region of $1,000 or higher.
How about the resale value of the new Canberra Link EC? Looking at other Canberra properties, the most affordable condo there is Yishun Emerald (completed 2002) where units were sold at an average price of $705 psf; the most expensive project is Eight Courtyards (completed 2014) where units were sold at an average price of $962 psf.
Looking at the estimated psf for the new Canberra Link EC, these condo resale prices may not seem that impressive. However, Canberra actually still has potential upside as it is still considered a new estate and there are many developments underway.
Do bookmark this page and check back soon for updates on the new Canberra Link EC’s price!
Summary
Is the Canberra Link EC worth buying?
It’s still early days, and more information will be unveiled closer to the launch of the showflat. In general, Canberra is an up-and-coming estate with potential upside and new amenities, so it’s both a possible investment opportunity and definitely very liveable for families.
The upcoming transport links and North-South Corridor will also boost the accessibility of the Canberra neighbourhood. The location is also convenient, as it is walking distance to what will be the new bustling hub of Canberra, as well as the MRT station.
Given that there are still balance units of Parc Canberra EC despite it being launched early 2020, the new Canberra Link EC may not be as popular as other launches perhaps due to the location and slew of other housing options that came up/are coming up in the estate.
If you have a long time horizon in mind, the potential upside and new developments are encouraging. Do check back again once more details of this new EC development at Canberra Link are released!
