Normanton Park Review
Normanton Park has a rich military past. Soon, this former housing estate built initially for SAF officers will be a spanking new mega condo development.
Before the Ministry of Defence developed the old Normanton Park in 1977 with the help of HDB in designing and building, it was a former naval oil depot. During World War 2 on 10 February 1942, when the Japanese invaded Singapore, Japanese bombers struck some of the storage tanks, setting them on fire. The British then destroyed the remaining storage tanks to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.
NORMANTON PARK EN BLOC
Kingsford Huray Development bought Normanton Park for $830.1m during the height of the en bloc fever in October 2017. It works out to $969 per square foot per plot ratio (PSF PPR).
Normanton Park is currently the talk of the town. But will it live up to all the hype?
Here are my personal ratings of the project and a summary of what I think are the pros and cons of this upcoming mega project.
My Ratings on Normanton Park
What I Like and Dislike About Normanton Park
Pluses of Normanton Park
- Very accessible for motorists via AYE to Jurong towards the west, and Changi Airport towards the east
- Proximity to the future Greater Southern Waterfront.
- Potential pool of good-profile tenants from nearby Science Park, Fusionopolis, Mediapolis, NUH, NUS, Dover Knowledge District and Mapletrees Business City.
- Great for nature-lovers with Kent Ridge Park right next to Normanton Park.
- Stand-alone condo in the neighbourhood, thus enjoying some level of exclusivity
- Unblocked park, sea and city view. The lowest floor is about 19m above the ground, which gives every unit a clear view and the whole ground superb airflow.
- Mega-project with more than 100 facilities.
- 7 shops and 1 restaurant in the condo will offer residents some conveniences
- 80% of the gound is dedicated to facilities, common grounds and landscaping.
- Near local schools: ACS Independent, ACJC and Fairfield Methodist School
- Near tertiary educations: NUS and Singapore Polytechnic
- Near to international schools: Tanglin Trust, UWC, Dover Preparatory School, ISS International School, Japanese School, INSEAD and Essec Business School
- Future growth area with several reserved sites in the vicinity.
Minuses of Normanton Park
- The nearest MRT, Kent Ridge Station (Circle Line), is more than 1km and 2 bus stops away
- Not many nearby amenities within walking distance, except some eateries in Science Park
- Potential noise issue from AYE for some stacks
Project Details of Normanton Park
PROJECT DETAILS | |
|---|---|
PROJECT NAME | Normanton Park |
ADDRESS | Normanton Park |
DEVELOPER | Kingsford Huray Development Pte Ltd |
TENURE | 99 years (from 22/7/2019) |
DISTRICT | 5 |
SITE AREA | 63,593.7sqm (684,517sf) |
GROSS FLOOR AREA | 133,547sqm (1,437,485sf) |
NO OF BLOCKS | 9 blocks + 22 terrace houses |
NO OF STOREYS | 24 |
NO OF UNITS | 1862 (plus 7 shops and 1 restaurant) |
TOP | Estimated Q2 2023 |
ROOM TYPES & SIZES | 1 BR 484 – 657 sf (414 units) / 1 BR + study: 560 – 700sf (138 units) / 2 BR: 635 – 797sf (276 units) / 2 BR + study: 829 – 980sf (92 units) / 2 BR premium: 657 – 893sf (230sf) / 3 BR: 904 – 1109sf (345 units) / 3 BR premium: 1066 – 1238sf (184 units) / 4 BR compact: 1195 – 1346sf (23 units) / 4 BR premium: 1313 – 1496sf (92 units) / 5 BR: 1615 – 1798sf (46 units) / Corner terrace: 2110sf (6 units) / Intermediate terrace: 2110sf (16 units)
|
MAINTENANCE FEES | 1 BR $225-270 / 2 BR $270 / 3 BR $315 /4 BR $315 / 5 BR $315 / Terrace $360 |
Normanton Park Will Have More Than 100 Facilities
When completed, the 9 blocks of 24-storey high Normanton Park will soar majestically in the western skyline.
With a massive ground of 684,518sf, 80% of it will be used for shared spaces and facilities.
With more than 100 facilities, life will never be boring at Normanton Park.
It boasts of possibly the longest pool (150m) in Singapore that runs like the endless meandering Amazon River, complemented by Amazon Valley, Amazon Island, Amazon Bridge and Amazon Lawn.
You can also choose to meditate at the Zen Garden, have a meal at Dining by the Woods or workout at the Botanical Outdoor Fitness.
The Villa Collection, comprising 22 strata-titled houses, will appeal to those who want to enjoy the feel of staying in a ‘landed’ house while enjoying full condo facilities. Stepping out of the house is a garden that is maintained by the management and a Tropical Pool decked with reclining poolside lawn chairs, an epitome of resort-living. For Singapore PR who wish to buy any of these terrace houses, they would need to apply to LDAU for approval to buy.
To serve the 1862 residential units are 7 retail shops and 1 restaurant. This will serve the residents (and public) well to fulfill some of their essential needs.
Normanton Park Site Layout
The massive size and shape of the plot give the architect the room to space out all the 9 high-rise blocks and terrace houses, with the fabulous facilities as the centrepiece.
Most of them are North-South orientation, with either the park/sea view or city view. What’s unique about Normanton Park is the 360-degree unblocked panoramic view since there are no nearby high-rise buildings. All the 9 high-rise blocks are not only well-spaced out but also with minimal looking into each other.
The most premium blocks are 53 and 55, especially those facing the park/sea. The only disadvantage is the long walk to the bus stop along AYE.
Blocks that have city view generally will also get to enjoy the view of the facilities, particularly the ‘Amazon River’.
Elevation
The lowest floor of the tower blocks is 18.8m above the ground, which is higher than the 6th floor.
At this level, it is higher than the nearby four-storey high buildings in Science Park.
This concept also allows good airflow across the ground.
Normanton Park Is Strategically Located
Greater One North
Normanton Park is right at the threshold of Greater One North, Singapore’s central R&D, medical and education hub.
Science Park I, built in 1982, is now home to more than 300 MNCs, local companies and national institutions.
On 3 September 2019, Shopee, a multi-national e-commerce company, officially opened its new six-storey regional headquarters at the Science Park. The 244,000sf building can accommodate 3,000 employees.
The 200-hectare One North comprises 9 main developments, namely Biopolis, Fusionopolis and Mediapolis, LaunchPad @ one-north, Nepal Hill, Rochester Park, Wessex, and Pixel. It is part of our government’s ambitious project to promote the growth of biomedical sciences, infocommunications technology and new media.
The nearby research and tertiary institutions such as the National University of Singapore (NUS), National University Hospital (NUH), INSEAD, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), ESSEC Business School and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), form a knowledge and research pool in a common objective.
The Greater One North provides more than 120,000 jobs.
Hence, for those who buy investment properties at Normanton Park will have no shortage of high profile tenant pool from Greater One North.
GREATER SOUTHERN WATERFRONT
The Greater Southern Waterfront will be the next big wave that will transform the landscape of the southern part of Singapore, stretching from Pasir Panjang to Marina East.
This Greater Southern Waterfront spans about 30km of the southern coastline and covers about 2,000ha of land for redevelopment. The total size is about six times that of Marina Bay.
In the next 5 to 10 years, we will start to see plans emerging with the former Pasir Panjang Power District. It will follow by the redevelopment of Keppel Club land into 9,000 new homes when its lease expires end 2021.
Subsequently, PSA ports in Tanjong Pagar and Pasir Panjang will be relocated to Tuas from 2027 onwards. Pulau Brani will become an island of recreation to complement Sentosa.
Looking at the Masterplan 2019, it is interesting to note that there is plan to extend the Science Park Road from Normanton Park to South Buona Vista Road towards the south, and to Alexandra Road towards the east. Both these extensions will facilitate easier access to the future Greater Southern Waterfront.
The future developments of Greater Southern Waterfront will augur well for the upside potential of Normanton Park.
Normanton Park Is Ideal For Nature-Lovers
One of the best attributes of Normanton Park, in my opinion, is the unparalleled 360 degree views.
On one side (south-facing), you will be looking into the green of Kent Ridge Park. Those on the higher floor units can even have a view of the sea.
Just picture this in your mind: every day you sit out there on your balcony you enjoy the lush greenery (without the monkeys!), and the panoramic view of the hill and the sea. Where else in Singapore do you get this kind of 3-in-1 trees-hill-sea view? And….without the traffic noise.
Recently I walked around Kent Ridge Park and was captivated by its foliage and serenity, which offers a perfect hideaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. Right behind Normanton Park, you can relax by the pond on one of the stone benches or try angling.
At the top of the Kent Ridge Park, you can have a vantage point towards the sea, with glimpses of the Pasir Panjang wharves. You can even walk to Hort Park, Henderson Bridge and Mount Faber via the canopy walk.
Hence, Normanton Park would be perfect for nature-lovers.
On the other side (north-facing), you will enjoy unblocked city view (not all the blocks).
Addressing the Highway Noise Issue
In the past, some blocks of the old Normanton Park right next to AYE suffered the deafening 24/7 traffic noise.
I remembered once when visiting a friend who stayed in Normanton Park where he had to close the balcony doors so that we could have a conversation. It was that bad.
To minimize the impact of the traffic noise, the developer builds six of the high-rise blocks as far away from the highway as possible, the furthest being about 307 meters away and the nearest 105m away. These distances are well within NEA minimum setback of 70m for noise from boundary without any noise impact.
Furthermore, the higher ground of the development (equivalent to about four storeys high from the road level) plus the many trees that will be planted will help to cushion off some of the noise.
Block 61, one of the nearest blocks to AYE is oriented perpendicularly to the highway so that the units are not directly facing the highway.
Block 45 that is most affected will be given acoustic treatment, such as acoustic ceiling, double-glazed windows and balcony glass doors.
The terrace houses will also install double-glazed windows and slanted fins for selected units.
Normanton Park Developer
In January 2019, the Controller of Housing (COH) hit the developer Kingsford Huray Development with a no-sale licence which means they are not allowed to sell before Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) is obtained.
What happened?
The 512-unit Kingsford Hillview Peak, completed in 2016, was the developer’s first project in Singapore. Their other project was Kingsford Waterbay project in Upper Serangoon View (TOP 2018).
Feedbacks for these projects were very negative. Some building works such as windows, barriers and common storey shelter were not in accordance with the requirements under the Building Control Act.
They were fined a number of times for unsafe practices.
Hence there are reasons why many home buyers are wary of Chinese developers in general.
Sale Licence Obtained
Subsequently, URA granted Kingsford Hurray’s sale licence on 30 November 2020 subject to certain conditions.
One of the conditions imposed is a requirement for the developer to complete the Quality Mark assessment, which measures the quality of workmanship in EVERY unit when the project is completed before it can apply for the Temporary Occupation Permit.
This means that the developer is committed to ensuring a quality finished product.
To help them to achieve this goal, they have engaged a reputable contractor, China Jingye Construction Engineering who is the main contractor for MCC Land.
Based on info in MCC Land website, “China Jingye Engineering Corporation Limited (Singapore Branch) is a registered contractor with the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) and the only State-owned enterprise in Singapore to obtain the highest A1 grade in both General Building (CW01) and Civil Engineering (CW02) categories. The company is influential in Singapore with excellent performance in both public and private construction sectors. The company is the main contractor for Singapore’s iconic landmark projects – Universal Studios Singapore and Maritime Experiential Museum, Resorts World, Sentosa.“
The question is, is this sufficient to allay the doubts many may have regarding the developer and the quality of the finished products?
If the show flats are anything to go by, then I must say the developer is indeed committed to making Normanton Park a quality development in terms of design and finishing.
And I am quite certain this time around, the authorities will definitely be more stringent with their checks on EVERY UNIT before granting them the TOP. Kingsford Huray should know better they won’t be third time lucky.
What Are Nearby
SCHOOL
- National University of Singapore 5 mins
- Anglo-Chinese Junior College 6 mins
- Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 6 mins
- School of Science and Technology 7 mins
- United World College of S.E.A. (Dover Campus) 8 mins
- Singapore Polytechnic 10 mins
- Singapore University of Social Sciences 11 mins
- Hwa Chong Institution 12 mins
- Nanyang Girls’ High School 14 mins
- Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary) 14 mins
TRANSPORT & CONNECTIVITY
Close to major roads such as
- West Coast Highway, AYE, KPE and MCE
- Kent Ridge MRT Station (CCL) 2 mins
- Buona Vista MRT Station (EWL & CCL) 6 mins
- HarbourFront MRT Station (NEL & CCL) 9 mins
- Botanic Gardens MRT Station (DTL & CCL) 10 mins
- High-speed Rail Terminus (Future) 12 min
PARKS & GARDENS
- Kent Ridge Park Direct access
- HortPark 6 mins
- West Coast Park 9 mins
- Singapore Botanic Gardens 9 mins
MEDICAL & WELLNESS
- National University Hospital 3 mins
- Alexandra Hospital 4 mins
- Gleneagles Hospital 10 mins
SHOPPING, FOOD & BEVERAGE
- Khansama 5 mins
- Subway 6 mins
- Diamond Kitchen 6 mins
- Wonderful Xiao Long Bao 6 mins
- Starbucks 7 mins
- Luck Seng Food Court 8 mins
- Best Bites 8 mins
- Savourworld 3 mins
- Ristorante Pietrasanta 5 mins
- The Star Vista 6 mins
- IKEA Alexandra 6 mins
- Alexandra Village Food Centre 8 mins
- Holland Village 8 mins
- VivoCity 9 mins
- Dempsey Hill 11 mins
- Ngee Ann City 11 mins
- ION Orchard 12 mins
- Suntec City 14 mins
- Resorts World Sentosa 14 mins
BUSINESS & WORK
- Science Park I 2 mins
- Mediapolis (Under construction) 2 mins
- Fusionopolis 5 mins
- Biopolis 6 mins
- Mapletree Business City 7 mins
- HarbourFront 10 mins
- Jurong Lake District 11 mins
- Marina Bay Financial Centre 11 mins
- Raffles Place 11 mins
- International Business Park 13 mins
Floor Plans
(Write me for more detailed floor plans)
Distribution of Units
The most premium blocks are blocks 53 and 55.
There are only 2 stacks of 5-bedroom units, 38 (block 53) and 47 (block 55), which are the best-facing units. They not only enjoy the park view but also have no afternoon sun.
In these 2 premium blocks, there are also 4 stacks of 2-bedders with the same park/sea-view, namely stacks 39, 40, 48 & 49.
The best stacks for 3-bedroom units are 11, 20 & 29.
High floor south-facing units of blocks 47, 49, 51, 53, 55 and 57 are able to enjoy sea view.
Prices and Upside Potential
Based on Edgeprop’s estimate, the breakeven price is $1482psf. If we factor in 10% to 20% profit margin, the price range would be around $1,630psf to $1,778psf. This price range is quite in line with other recent launches in District 05 (e.g. Parc Clematis and Clavon) and RCR (eg. Jadescape, Daintree Residence).
Normanton Park is a RCR project selling at OCR prices. Sound too good to be true?
Shortage of 1BR and 2BR in D05
More than 60% of Normanton Park are the smaller 1-bedroom, 1-bedroom plus study, 2-bedroom and 2-bedroom plus study.
Based on recent buying trend, these 1-bedders and 2-bedders are usually in high demand. Clavon sold more than 70% on launch day in 12 December 2020, of which all 1-bedders and 2-bedders were sold out.
It is noteworthy that there are no more stocks for 1-bedders in District 05.
As for 2-bedders, only limited units are still available at Parc Clematis. So, it is very likely the 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units at Normanton Park will be snapped up fast by investors.
Investors would be looking at the high-profile tenant pool from the Greater One North and Mapletrees Business City. So we can expect relatively good rental yields.
As for the bigger units, such as 4-bedders, 5-bedders and terrace houses, it will appeal to families who prefer exclusivity and far from the maddening crowd of housing estates. With adolescent children studying at the nearby tertiary institutions (NUS, Singapore Poly), the proximity would be a big plus point.
Future Growth Potential
Property prices in District 05 have increased by more than 61% in the last 10 years, which is above the national trend of 21.75%.
What’s most interesting is the 99-year leasehold developments actually perform better than their freehold counterparts.
When Normanton TOP in December 2023, the Greater Southern Waterfront project should already be underway. With the expected high prices of future residential developments in this ultra-prime district, Normanton Park should enjoy capital appreciation when owners collect their keys.
Based on the Master Plan, there are several reserved residential sites across the AYE from Normanton Park. That also translates to future price growth of Normanton Park.
At the end of the day, buying Normanton Park seems like a safe bet.
If you are keen to find out more about Normanton Park, do drop me a line or book me using the calendar below for a discussion via zoom.
LATEST UPDATE FOR NORMANTON PARK (5/2/2021)
To-date, 658 units (35.19%) have been sold. 632 units were snapped up on the day of launch on 16th January 2021.
The one and only F&B space plus two of the shop units were also swopped up by investors.
The prices range from $1,571psf to $1,856psf, at an average of $1,762psf.
Danny Han has always been in the people’s business, having spent 23 years as a church pastor, five years as an insurance agent, and the last 16 years as a property consultant.
Danny has a genuine interest in people and firmly believes in personal integrity. While helping homeowners with their property needs, their interest always takes precedence over his personal gains. Hence, Danny has consistently earned his clients’ complete trust and loyalty. Many of them have become his personal friends.
Danny received his Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Singapore Polytechnics and Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts in Bible & Psychology.
Besides keeping abreast of the property market trend and constantly equipping himself to better serve his clients, Danny is a passionate foodie, a weekend cyclist, and an avid hiker.
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