The first chapter of the new Dover-Medway housing precinct starts in Dover Drive, and there is every reason to believe that the upcoming project to be built on the site looks set to capture the attention of prospective homebuyers, mirroring the strong interest it has already garnered from developers when the land parcel was put up for sale.

In a tender that closed on 26 March 2026, the government land sales (GLS) site garnered 6 bids, with the top bid price of $951 million - equivalent to a land rate of $1,556 psf per plot ratio - submitted by a joint venture comprising Qingjian Realty, Forsea Holdings and Jianan Capital. The top bid land rate of $1,556 psf ppr is the highest land price among the GLS residential sites tendered in the one-north area. In fact, it is also the second highest land rate for a residential GLS site in the Rest of Central Region (RCR) following the Jiak Kim Street plot, which fetched $1,733 psf ppr in December 2017.

That the Dover Drive site - which can potentially yield 625 private homes and 3,000 sq m of commercial space - saw strong tender participation was not entirely surprising given its attractive location attributes and a lengthy absence of fresh private housing GLS site in that locale. There have been no new GLS residential sites in the Dover area since the 1990s, and it is in fact the first plot to be launched for sale in the Dover-Medway neighbourhood.

New neighbourhood, new beginnings

Under the URA Draft Master Plan 2025, development plans for the first phase of Dover-Medway will focus on the areas near one-north and Kent Ridge, and will provide around 6,000 new public and private homes. Apart from housing, more amenities will be introduced at Dover-Medway along Dover Road in the Greater one-north area.

The new Dover-Medway neighbourhood will support residents who wish to live close to work and learning spaces in one-north, which is home to many technology, media and biomedical firms, as well as institutes of higher learning.

More changes could also be coming up around Kent Ridge MRT Station, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority. It noted that studies are ongoing to extend the Jurong Region Line to connect with the Circle Line at Kent Ridge station.

Furthermore, one-north is increasingly emerging as an exciting live-work-play precinct, bolstered by the government's focus on artificial intelligence and innovation. In the Budget 2026 announcement, plans were unveiled for a larger AI park at one-north - envisioned as a new cluster to "catalyse ideas, forge collaborations, and translate AI initiatives into practical solutions for businesses and public services".

This expansion of Singapore's tech ecosystem is expected to attract high-skilled talent and global companies to the precinct, enhancing vibrancy and generating quality employment opportunities in the area. From a real estate perspective, such long-term economic and employment growth can help to support both rental demand and owner-occupier interest.

Homing in on the buzz

The future Dover Drive development has the makings of a project that could be well-received by prospective buyers, seeing that it is within walking distance to the one-north MRT station on the Circle Line, has some commercial spaces on-site, and is close to key employment hubs in one-north and Singapore Science Park.

In addition, there are no lack of retail and F&B options in the vicinity, including at The Star, Rochester Mall, stores at Geneo in Science Park, One Holland Village, and the Holland Village lifestyle cluster. There may also be more commercial offerings in the near future, seeing that a nearby plot zoned as white site under the Master Plan 2025 could potentially bring more amenities to residents. For comprehensive health and wellness services, there is the National University Hospital in Kent Ridge, as well as Raffles Holland V - both accessible via a short MRT ride from one-north.

The project will enjoy good transport connectivity being minutes' walk to the one-north MRT station. When the entire Circle Line is completed in 2026 - with the opening of the Keppel, Cantonment, and Prince Edward Road stations - commuters will be able to get from one-north to the central business district in about 20 to 25 minutes.

Schools galore

As it is quite literally surrounded by schools, the future development would be appealing to families with school-going children. The site is across from Fairfield Methodist School (Primary and Secondary), and is also close to ACS Independent Boarding School, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Tanglin Trust School, National University of Singapore, Singapore Polytechnic, INSEAD Asia Campus and the United World College of South East Asia (Dover Campus). Meanwhile, it is also within 2-km to the popular Henry Park Primary School, and New Town Primary School.

About the developer

Qingjian Realty is no stranger to the property scene in Singapore and is an experienced player in property development within the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Some of its past local residential projects include The Arden, Altura, Tenet, Forett At Bukit Timah and JadeScape, with Bloomsbury Residences as its latest upcoming development.

Meanwhile, Forsea Holdings is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company Limited (known as CCCC), a leading global comprehensive service provider of ultra-large infrastructure. They are mainly engaged in the investment, construction and operation of transportation infrastructure, equipment manufacturing, as well as real estate and urban development. CCCC has been in the business for more than 100 years, and provided products and services in more than 150 countries. CCCC is listed in Hong Kong and Shanghai.