Source: NLB https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=962e4da2-bc50-4bed-8d65-6673de51b742
Background
Sentosa Cove is an integrated residential-cum-marina resort development on the eastern coast of Sentosa island, to the south of mainland Singapore.1 It is largely a residential estate, featuring Singapore’s first and only gated residential community.2 In 2014, there were 2,100 homes that range from high-rise condominiums to luxury bungalows with adjoining private berths for boats.3 As at June 2015, Sentosa Cove was home to a population of more than 5,000 people residing in 2,160 homes.4 The development also offers an exclusive marina club with berthing facilities for mega-yachts5 as well as a hotel and retail outlets in a centralised commercial precinct.6 The master developer is Sentosa Cove Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), a statutory board.7
History
The land that Sentosa Cove sits on consists partly of reclaimed land and partly of what used to be an isle called Buran Darat,8 that was situated east of Sentosa.9 In the 1970s, the government’s plan for Buran Darat was to develop it into a recreational centre with a swimming lagoon and facilities for water sports such as boating and canoeing. There was also a proposal to build a bridge to link it to Sentosa.10 By the late 1980s, the plans had changed. The narrow channel separating Buran Darat and Sentosa was to be reclaimed, and high-end residential homes, a world-class marina and resort-related facilities were to be developed on this new part of Sentosa.11
In 1992, SDC engaged French architect Bernard Spoerry,12 known for creating the famed seaside town of Port Grimaud in France, to help draw up a land-use master plan for the development of the area, which was then still referred to as Buran Darat.13 McKerrell Lynch Architects from Australia and Klages, Carter & Vail from the United States were later brought in to enhance the concept,14 which was modelled after Port Grimaud.15
SDC’s proposal to build a high-quality residential-cum-marina resort development on the eastern coast of Sentosa was incorporated into the Southern Islands development guide plan released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in April 1996.16 By then, the area had been named Sentosa Cove, with SDC having formed a new subsidiary of the same name in 1995 to focus on the development and management of the area.17 In October 1996, a bill was passed to amend the Sentosa Development Corporation Act to allow SDC to develop and manage the Sentosa Cove project.18
While the master plan for Sentosa Cove was being drawn up, SDC proceeded with the necessary works to prepare the area for the upcoming developments.19 Reclamation works to merge Buran Darat with Sentosa started in November 1991,20 and were completed in September 1993.21 Soil improvement works, infrastructure construction and landscaping began in 1994.22 The marina was in operation by 1999 and the sale of land parcels for private development commenced in 2003.23 In total, SDC reportedly spent about S$250 million on infrastructure development for Sentosa Cove.24
The land sale programme was initially scheduled to start in the second half of 1996,25 but was postponed several times.26 Much of the delay had to do with unfavourable conditions in the property market, such as during the 1998 and 2001 recessions.27 Another obstacle that SDC faced was that the land for Sentosa Cove had to be purchased from the Singapore Land Authority, but the land price proved to be a major obstacle in negotiations.28 Started in the mid-1990s, the negotiations were finally concluded in early 200329 and the first batch of land parcels was launched for sale in October 2003.30 By 2008, all land parcels had been released for sale.31
The residential land sales attracted much interest from individual buyers and developers, both from Singapore and overseas.32 Part of the appeal of the individual bungalow plots stemmed from the fact that their buyers would be able to design and build their dream homes from scratch, as opposed to buying the homes sold by developers. Nonetheless, the various projects launched by developers on Sentosa Cove have also been highly sought after since the first was launched in November 2004.33
Description
Sentosa Cove covers an area of 117 ha made up mostly of reclaimed land,34 including five artificial islands called Coral Island,35 Paradise Island, Treasure Island,36 Sandy Island and Pearl Island. Most of the land is designated for residential accommodation, with the five islands reserved for bungalows. The residential developments are clustered in two main areas, the northern precinct and the southern precinct.37 In 2014, Sentosa Cove encompasses an estimated 2,100 homes that were mostly made up of condominium units, terrace houses and bungalows.38
As of April 2009, about 1,700 people were already living in Sentosa Cove.39 This number is expected to grow to about 10,000 by 2014 and it is believed that more than half of these residents will be foreigners.40 As at June 2015, Sentosa Cove was home to a population of more than 5,000 people residing in 2,160 homes.41 While foreigners do not face any restrictions in buying the condominiums here, they have to obtain government approval for purchases of terrace houses and bungalows just as in other parts of Singapore. However to make it easier for foreigners to buy landed homes in Sentosa Cove, the government had reduced the time taken for their applications to be approved, reflecting the strategic value that it placed on the project.42 The processing time for applications by foreigners to buy landed properties in Singapore usually takes several weeks, but this has been shortened to just two days for purchases in Sentosa Cove.43
In addition to the residential estates, there is also an exclusive marina club in Sentosa Cove called One°15 that is already in operation.44 The marina at One°15 has 270 wet berths including 13 for mega-yachts45, making it the first in Singapore and one of the few in the world that can accommodate large vessels which were at least 85 ft long.46 Complementing the residential and marina developments are a 320-room five-star hotel and a three-storey commercial complex offering a wide range of shops, food and beverage outlets and other amenities.47
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