URA prepares part of former Tang Dynasty City site for housing

A plot of land that was part of the former Tang Dynasty City theme park is being primed for residential use as part of Jurong Lake District – slated to be Singapore’s largest business district outside the city centre.

- Ng Keng Gene

In a proposed amendment to the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) masterplan published on June 13, about 4.8ha of a 10ha site near Yuan Ching Road that is zoned for residential use, subject to detailed planning, was assigned a plot ratio of 4.6. A fragment of the 10ha site is proposed for road use.

The remainder of the site was not assigned a plot ratio – a figure that indicates the amount of development permitted for a site.

Property analysts said the 4.8ha plot can yield between 1,800 and 2,600 homes, depending on whether it is used for private or public housing.

In a note accompanying the proposed amendment, URA said the changes “are to facilitate future residential developments to support housing demand and allow more residents to benefit from the site’s proximity to greenery and amenities”.

The public has until June 27 to submit feedback on the proposed amendment to the authorities.

The plot is located within a site that was formerly occupied by Tang Dynasty City, a theme park and film studio that operated from 1992 to 1999.

Tang Dynasty City, which was modelled after the Chinese imperial dynasty’s capital of Chang’an, was demolished between 2008 and 2009.