Kallang Riverside
Overview & Key Facts
Kallang Riverside is a 212-unit freehold condominium at 51 Kampong Bugis in District 12, developed by The Singapore-Johore Express Pte Ltd and completed in 2019. Rising 30 storeys above the Kallang Basin waterfront, it stands as the only freehold private residential development on Kampong Bugis — and one of just 212 freehold homes within a precinct earmarked by the URA for a transformative 4,000-home car-lite waterfront township. That arithmetic — 212 freehold units within a 4,000-home future precinct — is among the sharpest land-scarcity arguments available in Singapore’s residential market today.
The development’s signature feature is its 24th-floor cantilevered swimming pool — claimed to be Singapore’s largest cantilevered pool in a private residential development at the time of completion — which projects over the Kallang River and frames unobstructed views of the National Stadium, Singapore Sports Hub, the Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay, and Marina Bay Sands. This single architectural gesture defines the resident experience at Kallang Riverside and places the development in a distinct visual category among Singapore’s waterfront residential offerings.
At an average PSF of $2,431 and an average transacted price of approximately $2.41 million, Kallang Riverside occupies a compelling mid-market position: freehold tenure, a genuine waterfront address, and a Kampong Bugis transformation tailwind — at a price point that remains materially below comparable freehold products in the D1–D9 core. With an average rent of approximately $5,059 per month and an average unit area of around 1,003 sqft, the implied gross yield is approximately 2.5% — modest but above the ultra-premium CCR benchmark — and reflects a development where capital appreciation in a transforming precinct is the primary investment thesis.
The developer, The Singapore-Johore Express Pte Ltd — historically Singapore’s premier cross-border bus operator connecting Singapore and Johor Bahru — made Kallang Riverside its inaugural foray into residential property development. The unconventional developer background has not detracted from the product quality: the 30-storey tower, elevated facilities deck, and 7 ground-floor commercial units deliver a coherent vision of Kallang River waterfront living, and the freehold land position ensures that future en-bloc potential remains a structural long-term option for owners.
Location & Connectivity
Kallang Riverside sits on Kampong Bugis — a name that carries quiet historical weight in Singapore’s urban geography. The Bugis Malay seafaring community settled along this stretch of the Kallang River estuary before the colonial era; today, the 8.29-hectare Kampong Bugis land parcel is the subject of one of Singapore’s most ambitious urban transformation programmes. The URA’s Kampong Bugis masterplan designates the precinct as a car-lite, people-centric waterfront residential township with an estimated 4,000 new homes, extensive riverfront promenades, cycling paths, and a community hub — all linked to the broader Kallang River green corridor and the Singapore Sports Hub at Kallang Basin.
The most important transportation asset for this address is Lavender MRT (EW11) on the East-West Line, approximately 470 metres from the development — a 6-minute walk along a new linear park connecting Kampong Bugis to the Lavender streetscape. From Lavender, the East-West Line provides direct access to City Hall (3 stops, ~7 minutes), Raffles Place (4 stops, ~10 minutes), and Changi Airport (under 35 minutes). Kallang MRT (EW10) is similarly accessible and in the opposite direction, with the Sports Hub and Kallang Wave Mall at the same stop.
The lifestyle geography of Kampong Bugis is in transition. Today, the immediate streetscape is sparse — light industrial uses at CT Hub 2 to the north and an undeveloped precinct perimeter mean that everyday retail and dining conveniences are a walk or ride away rather than at the doorstep. Cold Storage at Aperia Mall on Kallang Pudding Road is approximately 5 minutes by foot; the Lavender and Kallang MRT hinterlands provide a broader amenity matrix including Geylang’s renowned food street, the Kallang Wave Mall at Sports Hub, and the Bugis–Arab Street precinct within two MRT stops. The Kallang Riverside precinct is, by honest assessment, a destination-in-progress: the waterfront, the views, and the freehold land anchor are present today, while the full urban amenity layer will accumulate as the URA’s 13-year masterplan for Kampong Bugis is progressively realised.
For families with school-age children, the D12 Kampong Bugis address is functional. The Lavender and Kallang MRT catchments include Bendemeer Primary, St Andrew’s Junior School, and secondary options including St Andrew’s Secondary. The Singapore Sports Hub, Kallang Basin’s cycling paths, and the upcoming Kampong Bugis riverfront park network add to the outdoor and recreational profile of the neighbourhood — an environment that suits active families and fitness-oriented residents strongly.
The medium-term development trajectory is the location’s most compelling asset. The URA Draft Master Plan 2025 has rezoned Kampong Bugis land parcels directly south of Kallang Riverside for residential use as part of the phased waterfront precinct buildout. This is a double-edged consideration: it confirms the precinct transformation is proceeding, but also introduces the risk that future developments on adjacent plots could partially obstruct the river-facing views that define the premium stacks. Buyers of river-facing units should weigh this view-risk factor alongside the precinct transformation upside.
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| St. Andrew's Junior School | primary | Within 1 km |
| St. Andrew's Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| St. Andrew's Junior College | jc | Within 1 km |
| Hong Wen School | primary | ~1.0 km |
| Farrer Park Primary School | primary | ~1.4 km |
| Bendemeer Secondary School | secondary | ~1.7 km |
| Bendemeer Primary School | primary | ~1.7 km |
| LASALLE College of the Arts | tertiary | ~1.7 km |
Facilities
Kallang Riverside’s facilities programme is architecturally distinctive in a way that is genuinely unusual at its price tier. The decision to locate the main swimming pool on the 24th floor — a cantilevered structure extending over the Kallang River — rather than at ground level was not a cost-cutting measure; it was a deliberate architectural investment that transforms the swimming experience from functional to spectacular.
The 24th-floor cantilevered pool is positioned to frame unobstructed panoramas of the Kallang Basin waterfront: the National Stadium dome, the Singapore Sports Hub, the Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay, and the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort on the southern horizon. Reported as Singapore’s largest cantilevered pool in a private residential development at time of completion, the installation has become a landmark in its own right — one of the most photographed condominium amenity features in Singapore, and a consistent subject of positive resident commentary. The sky pool is flanked by the 5th-floor Sky Terrace, which houses a tennis court, BBQ pavilions, and a landscaped recreation platform — a two-level elevated amenity distribution that ensures recreational facilities are vertically staged rather than clustered on the ground.
“The 24th-floor pool is absolutely breathtaking. You swim with Marina Bay Sands and the Sports Hub in front of you and the Kallang River below. There is nothing quite like this anywhere else in Singapore.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
The full facilities list covers the essential condominium amenity programme: gymnasium, children’s playground and children’s pool, wet play area, Jacuzzi, function room, BBQ areas, and the tennis court on the Sky Terrace. The 7 ground-floor commercial shops add an integrated retail-and-dining layer to the development — accessible to both residents and the public — that partially compensates for the sparse immediate streetscape of the current Kampong Bugis precinct. As the wider Kampong Bugis precinct develops and additional retail and dining tenants emerge at ground level, the commercial component of Kallang Riverside should appreciate in both convenience value and rental income contribution.
The overall facilities proposition is strong for a 212-unit development at the $2,431 PSF price tier. The cantilevered sky pool is a genuine architectural differentiator that commands attention in any side-by-side comparison with comparably priced D12 alternatives. The elevated Sky Terrace, combined with a functional ground-level amenity layer, delivers a vertically distributed facilities experience that justifies the development’s premium over older and more conventionally configured D12 condominiums.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Kallang Riverside’s 212 units are distributed across a single 30-storey tower, with a unit mix spanning 1-bedroom to penthouse configurations. The development offers an unusually broad size range — from approximately 520 sqft for entry-level 1-bedroom units to 3,500 sqft for penthouse configurations — within a relatively compact 212-unit total, creating a diverse community of resident profiles within a single building.
The 1-bedroom units (approximately 520–830 sqft) are generously proportioned by Singapore standards for the category, with the upper end of the range offering usable space equivalent to some 2-bedroom configurations in competing developments. Two-bedroom units (approximately 970–1,100 sqft) and 2-bedroom-plus-study configurations (approximately 1,030 sqft) deliver well-proportioned living areas, and the 3-bedroom units at approximately 1,140 sqft represent the core owner-occupier product. The dual-key 3-bedroom variant (approximately 1,430–1,600 sqft) is a considered option for multi-generational households or investors seeking the flexibility of dual rental income from a single freehold asset. The maisonette (approximately 1,950 sqft) and penthouse tiers (2,500–3,500 sqft) cater to buyers seeking landmark scale in a waterfront freehold setting.
The unit layout quality is characterised by efficient, squarish floor plans that minimise wasted corridor and circulation space — a deliberate planning choice that delivers more usable area per sqft than elongated or awkwardly configured alternatives. This design discipline, combined with the 3-metre ceiling heights, allows residents to make the most of unit areas that are already generous relative to comparably priced new-launch products.
View allocation across the tower’s 30 floors creates a clear premium gradient. River-facing stacks on the south and southeast orientations (Stacks 1, 8, 9, and 2 in various reviews) command the most sought-after views — Kallang Basin, the National Stadium, and the Marina Bay skyline — and have historically commanded pricing and liquidity premiums in the resale market. North-facing and city-facing stacks offer urban views toward Geylang and the Paya Lebar corridor. Buyers should note the potential view-obstruction risk on south-facing river stacks from future Kampong Bugis precinct development parcels immediately south of the development, as flagged by the URA’s Draft Master Plan 2025 rezoning of adjacent land.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 6 | $2,495 | $1,289,333 |
| 2 BR | 1 | $2,039 | $1,690,000 |
| 3 BR | 18 | $2,457 | $2,563,333 |
| 4 BR | 4 | $2,245 | $3,287,500 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 29 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,108,000 to $3,300,000, averaging $2,369,517 (~$2,365 psf).
Rents range from $800 to $9,000 per month across 416 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.5%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has declined by 12.1% (from $2,440 to $2,145 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most structurally comparable development to Kallang Riverside within the D12 Kallang River corridor is The Riverine by the Park at Kallang Road — a freehold development by Wing Tai Properties (completed 2010) offering a similar Kallang riverfront address. The Riverine by the Park has averaged approximately $2,051 PSF in recent resale transactions, a meaningful discount to Kallang Riverside’s $2,431 PSF average, reflecting both the older vintage (2010 vs 2019) and the absence of Kampong Bugis precinct transformation premium. The Riverine’s trajectory — 37% growth from its launch price of approximately $1,501 PSF to current $2,051 PSF — demonstrates that Kallang River freehold residential assets can sustain PSF appreciation over a multi-year hold, and provides a credible precedent for Kallang Riverside’s appreciation potential as the Kampong Bugis transformation matures.
Southbank at North Bridge Road (D7, freehold, 2009) is a broader corridor comparable at the Beach Road–Kallang interface, averaging approximately $1,935 PSF in recent transactions. The PSF discount versus Kallang Riverside ($2,431 PSF) reflects both the older product vintage and the absence of the Kampong Bugis precinct transformation narrative. Southbank’s long-term trajectory confirms that freehold riverfront assets at the city-fringe in this corridor preserve and grow their value over time, even without the active catalyst of a URA-designated master developer precinct adjacent to the development.
For buyers willing to extend the comparison to nearby new launches, Aurea (formerly The Golden Mile Complex, D7, 99-year leasehold, 2028 expected TOP) is the headline new launch in the Kampong Bugis–Beach Road corridor — a conservation redevelopment offering 186 units. While Aurea commands premium pricing as a conservation development, its 99-year leasehold structure (vs Kallang Riverside’s freehold) and smaller scale create a different investment profile. The juxtaposition is instructive: buyers who want freehold waterfront exposure in this corridor with an established TOP and rental track record have only one current option — Kallang Riverside.
Against older D12 alternatives without waterfront positioning — including developments along the Balestier and Toa Payoh fringe — Kallang Riverside commands a clear location and scarcity premium. The combination of freehold tenure, waterfront address, 30-storey height and sky pool facilities, and the only-212-freehold-units-in-a-4,000-home-precinct narrative is a structural differentiation that purely residential D12 condominiums without these attributes cannot match.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KALLANG RIVERSIDE | Freehold | 2019 | 212 | $2,365 |
| THE ORIE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 52 | $2,730 |
| EIGHT RIVERSUITES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2011 | 2016 | 843 | $1,643 |
| GEM RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2015 | — | 578 | $1,838 |
| TREVISTA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2008 | — | 590 | $1,702 |
| VERTICUS | Freehold | 2021 | 162 | $2,122 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates KALLANG RIVERSIDE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“The 24th-floor pool is the reason I bought here. Every morning swim with Marina Bay Sands and the Sports Hub in the view — it still hasn’t gotten old after three years. This is one of the most beautiful amenity features in any Singapore condo.”
— Owner review via PropertyGuru
“Freehold on the Kallang River — 212 units only, and the precinct around it is being transformed over the next decade. I am holding this long-term. The pool view alone makes it one of the most instagrammable condos in Singapore and the freehold status is simply irreplaceable in this area.”
— Investor comment via EdgeProp
“Lavender MRT is a 6-minute walk through a nice linear park — the walk is genuinely pleasant. CBD in 10 minutes. The neighbourhood is still developing but the Sports Hub is right there and the waterfront park is lovely in the evenings.”
— Tenant review via 99.co
“Units are spacious and the 3-metre ceilings make a real difference. The precinct is still quiet now but that is changing — the URA plans for Kampong Bugis are very clear and we are buying into the transformation story as much as the current living experience.”
— Owner comment via SRX
The resident feedback at Kallang Riverside consistently converges on four themes: the exceptional visual quality of the 24th-floor cantilevered pool, the freehold land scarcity argument in a precinct undergoing major transformation, the practicality of the Lavender MRT walk, and the spaciousness and ceiling height of the units relative to comparably priced Singapore condominiums. Buyers who report dissatisfaction most frequently cite the sparse current streetscape amenity — the Kampong Bugis precinct feels underserved today relative to the waterfront and transportation assets — and the view-obstruction risk on premium river-facing stacks from upcoming URA precinct development. The overall resident sentiment picture is net-positive, with the development attracting a mix of long-hold owner-occupiers and investors who are explicitly buying into the Kampong Bugis transformation rather than the current neighbourhood maturity.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Only freehold residential development in Kampong Bugis — 212 freehold units in a precinct planned for 4,000 homes, creating structural scarcity that will intensify as the URA masterplan is realised
- 24th-floor cantilevered pool — Singapore's largest cantilevered pool in a private residence at time of completion, with unobstructed panoramic views of the National Stadium, Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay, and Marina Bay Sands
- Kampong Bugis URA transformation tailwind — designated car-lite waterfront precinct with 4,000 new homes, riverfront promenades, cycling paths, and community infrastructure planned over a 13-year masterplan horizon
- 470m / 6-minute walk to Lavender MRT (EW11) via linear park — direct East-West Line access to City Hall (3 stops) and Raffles Place (4 stops) in under 10 minutes; Kallang MRT (EW10) for Sports Hub access
- Genuinely spacious units with 3-metre ceiling heights throughout — above Singapore residential standard, enabling creative interior customisation; unit sizes generously proportioned across all bedroom types
- Freehold tenure with full en-bloc optionality — no lease-decay consideration, unrestricted CPF usage, and perpetual land ownership in a transformation corridor where land is increasingly scarce
- Dual-key 3-bedroom configuration available — flexible for multi-generational households or investors seeking dual rental income from a single freehold asset
- 7 ground-floor commercial shops providing integrated retail and dining — a built-in precinct activation layer within the development footprint
- Gross yield approximately 2.5% at $5,059/month average rent — meaningful yield contribution above ultra-premium CCR benchmarks for a freehold waterfront product
- Sparse immediate streetscape — Kampong Bugis is a precinct-in-progress; everyday retail, F&B, and convenience amenities require a walk to Lavender or Kallang MRT catchments rather than being at the doorstep
- View obstruction risk on premium river-facing stacks — URA Draft Master Plan 2025 has rezoned Kampong Bugis land parcels directly south for residential development; future buildings may partially block Kallang River views from lower and mid-floor south-facing units
- Thin resale market with only 28 recorded transactions — a small unit base (212 units) and hold-oriented ownership pattern limit price discovery and can extend resale timelines versus developments with higher transaction volumes
- Light industrial neighbours at CT Hub 2 to the north — the immediate precinct boundary includes commercial-industrial uses that are inconsistent with a pure waterfront lifestyle environment, though these should diminish as Kampong Bugis develops
- Single-block 30-storey development — all residents share one lobby, one set of lifts, and a relatively compact footprint; buyers seeking the scale, variety, and community breadth of larger multi-block developments will find Kallang Riverside intimate to a fault
- Average PSF $2,431 with modest appreciation since 2019 launch — the precinct transformation thesis requires patience; buyers expecting near-term capital appreciation at double-digit rates may find the current pace of precinct development slower than projected
Verdict
Kallang Riverside’s investment thesis rests on three interlocking premises: freehold scarcity in a URA-designated transformation precinct, a signature waterfront amenity (the 24th-floor cantilevered pool) that delivers a resident experience disproportionate to the development’s unit count, and a Lavender MRT connectivity advantage that ensures the address is functionally central despite the current sparse streetscape. Of these three, the scarcity argument is perhaps the most structurally durable: 212 freehold units in a precinct that will eventually house 4,000 homes means that as the Kampong Bugis transformation proceeds, Kallang Riverside will progressively benefit from precinct amenity uplift and pedestrian activation without any dilution of its own freehold land position.
The financial metrics are honest: $2,431 PSF and approximately 2.5% gross yield are not a deep-value entry point for a 2019-vintage product. The yield at 2.5% is serviceable for leveraged buyers at current financing rates, though cash-flow neutrality at today’s mortgage levels will require careful structuring. Buyers who evaluate Kallang Riverside primarily as a rental yield instrument will find it adequate but not exceptional; buyers who evaluate it as a decade-long exposure to the Kallang River waterfront transformation — with the freehold land safety net underneath — will find the proposition considerably more compelling.
Kallang Riverside is the right choice for buyers who want freehold waterfront exposure in Singapore’s most actively transforming city-fringe precinct, with a signature sky-pool amenity and generous unit sizes, and whose return horizon extends comfortably across the Kampong Bugis masterplan buildout period of 10–13 years.
The key risks are straightforward: view obstruction on premium river stacks from Kampong Bugis precinct development directly south of the building (flagged in the URA Draft Master Plan 2025 rezoning), the current amenity sparseness of the immediate neighbourhood, and the modest liquidity record with only 28 recorded transactions in the condo’s resale history. The liquidity point is a function of the small 212-unit base and a predominantly hold-oriented owner demographic; it is not an indicator of price weakness. The view risk on south-facing stacks is real and should be priced into unit-level bids on those orientations.
For owner-occupiers who value waterfront living, the freehold permanence of the land, and the experiential quality of the 24th-floor sky pool, Kallang Riverside delivers a Singapore residential proposition that is genuinely one-of-a-kind in the D12 corridor. The Kampong Bugis address will be materially better in 2030 than it is in 2025: more walkable, more activated, more retail-served, and more connected to the Singapore Sports Hub and Marina Bay precinct via the Kallang River green corridor. The freehold land anchor ensures that long-hold owner-occupiers and investors participate in that uplift without any leasehold decay consideration.