Azalea Park was the first of the instalment to launch for sale in March 1993. More than 300 buyers queued as early as 7am the day before the sales launch at Hong Leong Building. The picture above shows buyers stocking up on food as they camped overnight to try score the best units. (Source: NewspaperSG archives)
Hong Leong’s
Love Story
With ‘Master
Developer’
Site In
Singapore’s
Upper Changi
It all began with big dreams, a far-sighted vision, patience, and a long-term strategy.
After more than half a century, the launch of Kassia condominium finally concludes the master development site of the Flora Drive area in Upper Changi by Tripartite Developers, a consortium of three sister developers comprising Hong Leong Holdings, City Developments Limited, and TID Pte Ltd. The site was acquired in the early 1970s and built up gradually with its first development, Azalea Park in 1993.
The journey was long and not an easy one. But together, the developers have successfully shaped the site into a beautiful, private residential enclave with 11 condominiums today.
Let’s learn about its past, the striving and legacy that Tripartite Developers have laid in Upper Changi. This article is adapted from an interview between property publication, EdgeProp and Ms Betsy Chng, Head of Sales and Marketing at Hong Leong Holdings.
‘The Master Developer’
Pictured (L-R): Azalea Park, Ballota Park and Carissa Park were the first three condominium projects launched by the developers.
The entire private residential enclave in the eastern region of District 17 was built up gradually over the past three decades. Hong Leong Group acquired the original three million square foot (sq ft) of undeveloped land at Upper Changi Road North in the early 1970s.
Shortly after, Hong Leong Holdings and Japan’s largest real estate developer, Mitsui Fudosan, teamed up to become shareholders of a joint venture, TID. This led to a consortium, Tripartite Developers — a joint venture of three sister developers comprising Hong Leong Holdings, Singapore-listed City Developments Ltd (CDL) and TID.
Tripartite had intended to build an ambitious project with 1,820 residential units. “However, at that time, the sheer size of the project was too much for the market to absorb if it was developed in five years. After studying the area, we decided to divide the land into multiple parcels to be developed at ‘an opportune time’ to shape and mould the area into the private residential enclave it is today with 11 exclusive condominiums, including Kassia,” said Ms Betsy Chng, Head of Sales and Marketing at Hong Leong Holdings Limited.
Following the success of the first three projects, the consortium launched Dahlia Park (left photo) and Edelweiss Park (right photo).
Ferraria Park (left) and The Gale (right) was launched shortly after.
She adds that Tripartite Developers’ role as “master developer” was to set the tone for the neighbourhood from the start and culminate in its final project, Kassia. When the authorities chose the names Flora Drive and Flora Road for the roads, Tripartite Developers decided to name its properties after flower names in alphabetical order.
The first project was Azalea Park, a 316-unit development launched in the mid-1990s, followed by the 365-unit Ballota Park, the 528-unit Carissa Park, the 299-unit Dahlia Park, the 517-unit Edelweiss Park, the 475-unit Ferraria Park, the 329-unit The Gale, the 501-unit Hedges Park, the 396-unit The Inflora, and the 428-unit The Jovell. Concluding the master plan is the freehold 276-unit, Kassia.
Pictured (L-R) Hedges Park and The Inflora came in the late 2010s with a different tenure – a 99-year leasehold for the first time in the developers’ instalment.
Why the different tenures?
While Azalea Park has a 999-year lease from 1885, the following five condos launched — from Ballota Park to Ferraria Park — were freehold. Hedges Park has a 99-year lease from 2010, while The Gale is freehold. The Inflora has a 99-year lease from 2012, and The Jovell has a 99-year lease from 2018.
The difference in tenure for the various private condominiums was due to the various zoning under the URA Master Plan on the land bank. According to Ms Chng, some were zoned for rural or agricultural use, and the tenure was reset to a 99-year lease in exchange for removing the land restrictions.
Pictured (L-R) Recently completed, The Jovell, has a 99-year leasehold. The finale, Kassia, has a freehold tenure that will last through generations.
Kassia, which has four 8-storey blocks spanning a 150,389 sq ft freehold site, is expected to obtain its temporary occupation permit (TOP) in 2027. Three years from now, its TOP will bring the number of completed private dwelling units in the area to 4,430.
Following Kassia’s completion, we estimate the number of residents in the enclave to be over 13,000, based on an average household size of 3.11. It aligns with Statista’s estimate for Singapore’s average household size over the past decade, from 2014–2023. “The profile of residents has remained largely Singapore citizens, from Azalea Park, our first launch, to the most recently completed project, The Jovell,” says Ms Chng.
An Added Boost: The Changi Transformation
The new Connectivity Plan of the Changi Region. An array of infrastructure is being planned by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to transform Changi into a well-connected, mixed-used district for businesses, employees, residents, and tourists. The newly announced Cross Island Line will complement existing MRT lines and reduce travel time to Changi Region, while a study to extend the Cross Island Line and the Thomson-East Coast Line to serve Changi Airport is ongoing. (Source: URA)
New infrastructure projects have sprung up as the neighbourhood matured, such as Changi Business Park, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Jewel at Changi Airport, and the upcoming Cross-Island MRT Line. The value-add in terms of lifestyle and convenience has also drawn residents — owner-occupiers and tenants — who work in the nearby industrial and business hubs, says Ms Chng.
Besides the private condominiums in the Flora Drive neighbourhood, Hong Leong has also been involved in developments in other districts of the East, making it one of the dominant players in the area. This includes the 566-unit, 99-year leasehold Penrose at Sims Drive, a joint development with CDL (launched in September 2020); and the 537-unit, 99-year leasehold The Tropica at Tampines Avenue 1 (launched in 1997, completed in 2020).
The 566-unit Penrose is a joint development with CDL located in Singapore’s east side at Sims Drive. It was launched in 2020 and expected to complete next year, 2025. (artist’s impression)
Located off Marine Parade Road, the 215-unit Fernwood Towers is a freehold condominium that completed in 1994.
Hong Leong has also developed several freehold condo projects in the prime Meyer Road enclave of District 15, such as the 196-unit Aalto (launched in 2007, completed in 2010), the 293-unit freehold The Meyerise (launched in 2011, completed in 2014), and the 157-unit The Atria at Meyer (launched in the early 1990s, completed in 1996).
Elsewhere in prime District 15, Hong Leong’s other freehold projects include the 215-unit Fernwood Towers off Marine Parade Road (launched in the early 1990s and completed in 1994) and the 72-unit King’s Mansion on Amber Garden, completed in 1982.
Kassia’s Arrival Court (left) welcomes with a relaxing grandeur that leads into a tranquil and modern home. The Grand Clubhouse (right) is wrapped in a vertical garden spanning the basement of the Arrival Plaza to the breathtaking cascading water feature, sky leisure walk, and view deck on Level 2. (Artist’s impressions)
With Kassia, the final private condo in Flora Drive at the launch gates, “there is a huge sense of achievement”, notes Ms Chng. “We are fulfilling the government’s vision to build the Changi District into a vibrant ‘live-work-play-learn’ ecosystem.”
