Parc Oasis review: Convenience, views and facilities in Jurong at an affordable price, Money News

PUBLISHED ONMarch 13, 2022 9:30 AMByMatt K

Project:	Parc Oasis
District:	22
Address:	35 to 53 Jurong East Avenue 1
Tenure:	99-year Leasehold from 1991
Number of units:	950
Site area:	739,104sqft
Developer:	Marco Polo Developments (Wharf Estates Singapore)
TOP:	1995

Jurong has come a very long way since Albert Winsemius, the famed United Nations economic adviser to Singapore, first suggested it as an industrial estate in 1961. According to NLB’s Infopedia page, residential and recreational amenities were built by Jurong Town Corporation (JTC Corporation as we know it today) from the 1970s to attract more workers and facilitate the expansion of the Jurong Industrial Estate.

Today, Jurong as we know it is a full-fledged community in its own right. It has major shopping malls in IMM, JCube, Westgate, and Jem, complete with healthcare facilities like the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and recreational spots such as Genting Hotel Jurong and the Singapore Science Centre. Yet the transformation is only half complete. In the works are the Jurong Lake District and Innovation District plans, which are expected to bring more economic activity to the area. The High Speed Rail was another highly anticipated plan till it got halted after Malaysia’s discontinuation.

If we trace back to when private condos first started springing up in Jurong, the likes of Ivory Heights and Parc Oasis come to mind — so here we are at Parc Oasis — to explore one of the landmark developments in the area that played its part in the early transformation and growth of Jurong.

Parc Oasis is a full-facility condo with 950 units, a considerable number even today and much more so in 1995. It boasts spacious grounds and proximity to Chinese Garden MRT. I have heard a lot about Parc Oasis so let’s check it out and see if this might be the development for you!

Parc Oasis insider tour

The entrance to Parc Oasis is situated along Jurong East Avenue 1, surrounded by the HDB estate of Jurong East and The Mayfair condo towards the North. Make no mistake, at 950 units and having TOP-ed since 1995, Parc Oasis is arguably the landmark condo in this estate, possessing sprawling grounds, convenience to the MRT, and panoramic views of the Jurong Lake for some of its residents.

As you make a turn into the development, you drive past those imposing steel gates, as though you are entering into a palace. I suppose it was meant to evoke that feeling of entering into a grand park, and along with the landscaping and foliage, it does capture that somewhat well.

Although the fountain in the middle is showing its age!

The entrance is a single lane ingress that will diverge into two lanes upon reaching the Guardhouse, with one lane for visitors and one for residents. However, there is only one lane for an exit, with a traffic light right there presumably to moderate any traffic congestion.

With 950 units in Parc Oasis and only a single lane exit, I fully expect there to be some congestion during peak hours. It’s definitely one of the inconveniences to watch out for, most big developments will have at least two exits and entrances. The saving grace is that it is very close to the PIE, which is just a two-minute drive away and can connect you to other major expressways.

I have always believed that proximity to an expressway is an important selling point for any property so Parc Oasis definitely ticks the box here. Plus it is right next to an MRT station too, which probably does help in reducing the need to have a car here.

For those taking the bus and coming home via the main entrance (there is also a side gate directly opposite Chinese Garden MRT for those taking the train), there are automated gantries where you have to tap your access card to enter Parc Oasis. Security is clearly an important consideration for the MCST (although there are several quirks, which I’ll point out later).

Parc Oasis is now 27 years old, and existed at a time when land in Singapore was considerably less expensive, especially in Jurong, which was still developing as an estate and void of those spanking new malls you see today.

Unsurprisingly then, this is a sprawling estate, boasting of eight tower blocks and two shorter ones at the corner of the development.

They are all named after flowers alphabetically from A to J — and to give you some flavour of what you can expect — they range from Allamanda and Dahlia to Freesia and Jasmine. You probably can tell by now, what kind of theme they are going for here.

With its vintage, comes the expanse of space that plays out in the planning and architecture. For starters, you will notice that past the guardhouse, you do not get the standard single 'grand drop off' that you find in new launch condos these days.

Instead, you get a dedicated drop-off point at every block (which is also sheltered by the way). There are also benches as you wait for your Grab driver to arrive. Very practical indeed! You might also notice that the landscaping here is kept in great condition. Everything is mostly trim and tidy (perhaps save for the far ends of the estate), and the different variances in colours provide a nice respite for your eyes.

I don’t know about you, but I do prefer this yesteryear design. Of course, this also requires more land, which we know is a luxury these days. As expected, the entrance to the lobby will require you to have an access card or you could just buzz the owner through the intercom if you are a friend visiting. Don’t expect to find an airconditioned lobby though, this is an old development in the OCR region after all.

The downside to resale developments with dedicated drop-off points is the constant vehicular movement. This means that you have to watch out for vehicles wherever you go, especially for the kids, the elderly, and the handicapped.

For Parc Oasis, there are dedicated walking paths between blocks and facilities, which definitely helps from the safety aspect. While not exactly sheltered like the government-built ones throughout Singapore, the ones here are definitely more aesthetically pleasing.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still very appreciative of the former but the ones here complete with creeper plants look better and still help in providing some shade from the sun. It also helps to make the estate look green and pleasing to the eye.

It does make for a nice change from the usual scenery, but during the rainy seasons, it really doesn’t offer much more utility other than being a pretty face.

As for the design of the towers, you will notice that they have a curved facade for each unit and a greenish-blue tint for the windows. While I get that the curvature means more complete views of the Jurong Lake for units in that direction, it also requires some creativity for residents in terms of the interior design of their living room.

It’s not unique for Parc Oasis and I have come across a number of similarly styled developments of identical vintage. It certainly is telling of the age of the development.

Since we are on the point about design, let’s move to the Clubhouse. It’s directly opposite the Guard House at the entrance and in the middle of the development, making it ideally located for both visitors and residents.

I must say I went "wow" when I saw the Clubhouse for the first time — it looks like it was taken straight from a Spanish resort, with those tall palm trees, lagoon pool, orange paint, and overall Mediterranean vibes. Alas, the humidity will remind you that you are in sunny Singapore. But like the photo above (with no tall buildings to mar the view), most people might not even think this was taken in Singapore!

It is a pretty-looking Clubhouse but I can’t help but say this — it feels so out of place compared to the design of the residential blocks. I did hear from a resident here that the colours of the residential blocks were different in the past but the current one means that you seem to be entering a whole different world when you come to the Clubhouse.

A number of communal facilities can be found in and around the Clubhouse.

I’ll start with the most obvious one — the lagoon pool. It’s really a thing for that generation of condos — you get these irregularly shaped pools that are unique and interesting but arguably less practical than a proper lap pool. It has similar features that you’ll find in older developments in the 1990s, with irregularly shaped pools and rounded balconies ( Bullion Park and Valley Park come to mind).

Perhaps they could have taken a leaf out of Mandarin Garden’s book, which packed in a proper lap pool but still couldn’t resist the urge to have some funky curves.

That said, at least the pool here is of a decent length, although you have to swim underneath that bridge to enjoy proper laps. It certainly creates a more fun experience for young children. With 950 units sharing a single pool in Parc Oasis though, it may get busy on weekends (post Covid-19, at least).

Around the pool are also some deck chairs to relax if you prefer not to swim, although the age of the condo is rather telling from them. It’s a similar story with the tables and chairs provided with parasols to shield you from the sun as you watch your children take their swimming classes on weekends.

Nevertheless, it’s good that they have provided them so you have somewhere to sit and relax. Overall, I do concede that the practicality and length of swimming pools are not the strongest selling points for condos from the 1990s.

Remember I mentioned earlier that Parc Oasis is a sprawling estate? The single pool and its length, or the lack thereof, is more a function of the trend during that era rather than a lack of space. Many of the design choices back then may look very inefficient today, but there are certainly compelling advantages too. Instead, condos of that era tend to make it up with more spacious grounds and facilities of other kinds.

The Clubhouse, for example, packs in a number of facilities — including the function room, lounge room, gym, and two squash courts. Interest in squash has waned over the years, and the trend has been to convert them into table tennis rooms instead. Unsurprisingly, one of the courts here has been repurposed as well. The management office is also located in the Clubhouse.

On the two sides of the pool, there are also five BBQ pits for residents. While that sounds like a reasonable number, they are situated quite close to each other and do not have much seating to boast of. It’s also in the open, so you are susceptible to the weather elements. I definitely wished there were more seats available here.

There is also a pavilion of sorts, but I myself am not sure of the actual utility of it.

While not in the same area of the development, there are also several other sports facilities which I will mention since we were on the topic earlier. For those who prefer a jog or a walk, there’s a footpath that runs along the periphery of the development, so that can definitely be an option.

Given the large size, you would have absolutely no need to even venture outside, which would be good for families with elderly parents. They can still get a breath of fresh air and exercise, and you wouldn’t have to worry so much about their movements outside.

And the different types of trees planted here are really quite attractive too, it makes for a nice change if you are sitting on the bench and looking up.

In front of Stacks 41 and 43 at the eastern end of Parc Oasis are four tennis courts, which I can assure you you will never find in any new condo these days. That’s less than 250 units sharing one tennis court on average, a very impressive ratio by today’s standards.

In comparison, Treasure at Tampines with 2,203 units and Parc Esta with 1,399 units have only one tennis court each. It’s not that interest in tennis has waned, it’s just that the land to build these courts have become much costlier.

So for residents and would-be residents of Parc Oasis, be appreciative of what you have here! If you’re sweaty and thirsty after a game, you have a vending machine just outside the courts for your convenience. The changing room is also located here.

There’s an even more ridiculous facility here at Parc Oasis, although I heard from a friend staying here that it seems to have been closed indefinitely since the late 2000s. Just beside Stack 51 at the west end of development is a golf driving range. We don’t have a good shot of it but you can probably make it out by the nets that prevent balls from flying out of range.

But a driving range within a condo? Sounds rather absurd in my opinion (in a good way, by the way), and a real pity that it seems to be out of bounds these days, especially when golf seems to be back in vogue since Covid hit. To my knowledge, this is probably the only such facility in any condo development in Singapore, and I do hope this would be restored. For golf lovers, this could even be one that tips the scales in favour of Parc Oasis.

The developers may just have been golf enthusiasts themselves since you still do have an option of a Putting Green, which is located beside Stack 47, which is one of the low-rise blocks.

As for the kids, this is a large estate by any conventional measures so I’m glad that the developers had planned for two playgrounds for the little ones. The one we captured here does seem to be the larger and more popular one though.

We managed to get a photo of it empty but there were a number of kids playing there when I visited on several other occasions. I do like sand-based playgrounds for kids. It may be messier, but it is generally a safer environment when they do invariably fall. Plus on hot days, it really isn’t so hot to the touch, unlike the usual rubber flooring that you might see today.

And at the far corner of the development, you do have a fitness corner close to the main road. It was midday and very hot, but the thick trees around provided a ton of shade.

Before I forget, for residents driving, you have one storey of basement parking with lift lobbies for the respective blocks. There are an equivalent number of car park lots for its 950 units, which for an older development is surprising as these have usually more lots than units. Perhaps the fact that it is right next to the MRT station is a mitigating factor.

It is also worth noting that there was once a dispute over car park fees for additional cars, but this was back in 2013.

Generally for older developments such as these, having a sheltered car park is a major plus, so it makes things so much more convenient during rainy days.

The lobby to access the unit from the car park is a decidedly muted affair, but I don’t think buyers are going to be so concerned here.

In terms of the overall condition, I am cognisant that Parc Oasis is almost 30 years old so I do think that the overall maintenance is commendable. If anything, I would say that the ventilation here is great as it’s not a closed-up space, therefore allowing the natural breeze and light to come in. Certainly, the landscaping and plants here are very well maintained and kept.

As for visitors, there are open-air lots beside each block, which makes it really convenient for those visiting. Once again, luxuries that you don’t find in new condos anymore.

Finally, for those who don’t drive, Parc Oasis is also an ideal condo from the MRT convenience perspective. There is a side gate situated beside the putting green near Stack 47 that gives you almost direct access to Chinese Garden MRT.

Once you step out, there is an overhead bridge that leads you directly to the station, which means that you actually have sheltered access to it. To get back into Parc Oasis, you will require your condo access card to get through the turnstile gate. The turnstile gate is a blast from the past for me, we really don’t see many of these anymore right?

Because Parc Oasis has a rather big compound, it might take you a few minutes to get back to your block but having the MRT just a couple of minutes away is already as good as it gets. Of course, Chinese Garden is not the most central of MRT stations so unless you work in the West, it will still take you some time to get to your workplace by train, depending on which part of Singapore you work in.

To wrap up, let me show you one of the quirks that I mentioned in the beginning.

If you were to walk around the perimeter of the development (along Jurong Town Hall Road), there is a point where there is an overhead bridge to take you across to the HDB blocks.

It’s right here where you could practically just hop over the fence to get into the compound. There are security cameras fenced around the estate, and Singapore is safe enough that it isn’t really a concern, but it’s just a little point I noticed!

With that, let’s move on to show a little more about its specific location.

Parc Oasis location review

Being located in suburban Singapore has its advantages — and disadvantages — but I’ll come to the latter in a bit. Parc Oasis's position in the midst of a mostly public housing estate means that you get everyday amenities close by. It is bounded by the Jurong East HDB blocks and The Mayfair condo from three directions and the Chinese Garden MRT towards the South.

For starters, you are sandwiched between two popular hawker centres and numerous coffee shops in the area — among them Michelin Bib Gourmand winner Zai Shun Curry Fish Head and Enaq Prata just across the road. For groceries, there is a 24-hour NTUC beside the Yuhua Market and these are all within easy walking distance.

There is also further mom-and-pop shops at Yuhua Place, but probably not your best bet for the younger generation. For the older folk though, these areas will still hold some significance for them to amble about on the weekends.

For schools, there are four primary schools within a 1km radius according to OneMap, although that might differ depending on which block you are staying in. Regardless, you know that this is a family-friendly condo when you have this many schools within the vicinity. If you are an ex-pat family, there is also the Canadian International School for your consideration.

Yet perhaps the biggest draw for residents is the proximity to the Chinese and Japanese Gardens and consequently, the Jurong Lake. These are all found just opposite the condo. Some units in Parc Oasis will already enjoy the beautiful lake views (though it will also come with MRT noise) and its proximity to it means that you can take leisurely walks here in the evenings too.

Going forward, there are plans for a massive tourist attraction here at this large plot of empty land. While you will have to endure the piling and drilling for a number of years, let’s hope that it will turn out to be worth the while (both in terms of your enjoyment and enhancement to your asset value).

MRT connectivity is also one of the development’s selling points. Chinese Garden MRT is just three minutes on foot from the condo’s side gate, making it one of the most convenient condos in Jurong. This means that it is just one stop from Jurong East MRT, where you get Jem, Westgate and IMM, and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital if you ever require it.

But what’s amazing here is that the entire exterior circumference of the estate is surrounded by a sheltered walkway. While the inside of Parc Oasis isn’t, once you get to the side gate by the MRT, it’s immediately sheltered to the station and to the bus stop on the outside.

And it’s sheltered all the way to Yuhua Place too. It’s really an incredibly convenient feature to have.

It sounds all perfect if you are amenable to living in this self-contained community because you really do have everything you need close by. Yet if you are someone who works in other parts of Singapore, you will notice that the travel time (by car) during peak hours is actually very long.

Besides the Jurong Cluster, you will notice that the other destinations will take you 30 minutes or more during the morning rush hour. That’s quite crazy if you think about it and you might just be better off taking the MRT instead.

Jurong has definitely turned out to be a more attractive location to stay in over the years, but it would be best if you work in the western region to be able to reap the benefits of its growth and development.

Amenities

Retail/Dining options

Destination	Distance from condo (and estimated walking time)
Yuhua Village Market & Hawker Centre	750m, 9 mins
Yuhua Market & Hawker Centre	850m, 11 mins
NTUC Jurong St 31	650m, 8 mins

Public transport

Bus station	Buses serviced	Distance from condo (and estimated walking time)
Opp Chinese Gdn Stn Stop ID: 28349	180, 180A, 335	100m, 1 mins (from side gate)
Opp Parc Oasis Stop ID: 28459	98, 98M, 99, 157, 185, 187, 198, 333, 334, 502, 657	120m, 2 mins (from main gate)

Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden MRT (three-minute walk, 200m from side gate)

Schools

School	Distance from condo (and estimated walking time)
Fuhua Primary School	Under 1km (1.6km, 20 mins)
Jurong Primary School	Under 1km (600m, 8 mins)
Princess Elizabeth Primary School	Under 1km (1.9km, 24 mins)
Yuhua Primary School	Under 1km (1.1km, 14 mins)
Canadian International School	1.8km, 22 mins

Private transport

Key destinations	Distance from condo [average time at peak hour (8.30am) drive time]
CBD (Raffles Place)	18.4km, 36 mins
Orchard Road	16.3km, 30 mins
Suntec City	23.0km, 34 mins
Changi Airport	31.7km, 37 mins
Tuas Port (By 2040)	25.9km, 38 mins
Paya Lebar Quarters/Airbase (By 2030)	21.3km, 34 mins
Mediapolis (and surroundings)	10.2km, 25 mins
Mapletree Business City	13.5km, 32 mins
Tuas Checkpoint	15.7km, 25 mins
Woodlands Checkpoint	19.2km, 27 mins
Jurong Cluster (JCube)	2.6km 11 mins
Woodlands Cluster (Causeway Point)	19.7km, 30 mins
HarbourFront Cluster (Vivo City)	14.9km, 32 mins
Punggol Cluster (Waterway Point)	30.5km, 40 mins

Immediate road exits: Three — Jurong East Avenue 1 in both directions and Jurong East St 32. A right turn on Jurong East Avenue 1 and a left shortly after can take you on to the PIE in a short distance.

Development team

Marco Polo Developments was the developer of Parc Oasis in 1995 but has since taken on several names in the years after, most famously as Wheelock Properties. Today, it is known as Wharf Estates Singapore and remains active in the Singapore property market through its commercial holdings Wheelock Place and Scotts Square.

Known for their high end and prime developments, especially in the Orchard vicinity, with the iconic Ardmore Park, Ardmore II and Ardmore III, Wharf Estates are also the developers behind The Cosmopolitan, The Sea View and the redevelopment of the Glencaird Good Class Bungalow series. Parc Oasis represents one of their rare forays into suburban Singapore.

Stack analysis

Development site plan

Parc Oasis sits on a massive plot of land of 739,104sqft. While 950 is undoubtedly still a lot of units, you don’t really feel the size here given how expansive the grounds are.

The development is well flanked along two sides by major roads, so those living at the ends (the shorter blocks) will be facing quite significant road noise.

Unit mix

Unit type	Size
Studio	635 to 764sqft
2-bedroom	1,076sqft
3-bedroom	1,227 to 1,658sqft
4-bedroom	1,507 to 1,765sqft

Parc Oasis has a mix of Studio to four-bedroom units, with sizes expectedly larger than most new launches, especially for two and three-bedroom types. Times were certainly different then — not that I can be sure but I do feel that the market then would not be able to accept the unit sizes today, where two-bedrooms start from 600+sqft.

What I am saying is, unit sizes here are very comfortable by today’s standards and are definitely very liveable. Layouts are also generally squarish and easy to work with — with the exception of the curvature found in every living room! Some units have chosen to deck it up and make it a little relaxing corner, some have chosen to place a baby grand piano there but regardless, you do have to exercise a little creativity to make use of this 'wasted' space.

Best stacks

There are 10 towers here at Parc Oasis, with eight high-rise and two low-rise blocks that have just four storeys. While the latter does give off a resort vibe, I am personally more inclined to the high rise blocks. There are a number of views or the lack thereof, you can have here. It’s quite clear to me which views are more premium and desired.

Many units face the vast Jurong Lake and Chinese Garden in the distance with the Chinese Garden more towards the South and Jurong Lake generally towards the West.

That means that you have to bear with the scorching afternoon sun and the MRT tracks right ahead, but also means that you can enjoy the beautiful sunset over the lake. So it will come down to your personal tolerance of Singapore’s heat and the noise levels that are generated by the MRTs.

If you are adverse to the West facing (and I know many Singaporeans are), you also have the option of the other facings, which are mostly towards the Jurong East HDB estates surrounding it.

The shorter blocks facing the intersection of Jurong Town Hall Road and Boon Lay Way will face road noise as the traffic here is usually pretty heavy, so the inner facing blocks are still your best bet if you want something quieter.

Price review

If you are considering Parc Oasis, you will undoubtedly compare it against its neighbouring developments. So here is how it stacks up!

Development	Units	Psf	TOP	Tenure	Price gap
Parc Oasis	950	$967	1995	99 Years
The Mayfair	452	$996	2000	99 Years	(3 per cent)
The Lakeshore	848	$1,118	2008	99 Years	(14 per cent)
Lake View	696	$1,489	2017	99 Years	(35 per cent)
Lake Grande	710	$1,583	2019	99 Years	(39 per cent)
J Gateway	738	$1,787	2016	99 Years	(46 per cent)

If you have been following the property market, you will know that sub-$1,000 psf properties are increasingly few and far between, led by the high launch prices of new condos. For more affordable psfs, we will need to consider developments that tend to be in the OCR region, 99 years, an older development, or a combination of them. Parc Oasis happens to fit all three points. Its lease started in 1991, with a balance lease of 68 years.

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There is only one competitor in the vicinity, which is The Mayfair, at five years newer but arguably of a similar vintage. I’m surprised to know that The Mayfair has a slightly higher psf, as I view it as the more inferior of the two despite a marginally longer balance lease.

Parc Oasis is a much larger development, not only in terms of the number of units but also the overall land area. It has better facilities and most importantly, 'direct' access to Chinese Garden MRT via the side gate, a distinct advantage over The Mayfair. For me, it is a no-brainer that Parc Oasis is the superior condo to purchase if you are considering between both.

The other condos included are all resale condos close to MRT stations along the East-West Line. The “Lake” condos are all in the vicinity of Lakeside MRT, which has a number of other condos beside the three listed above.

Parc Oasis is between 13 and 24 years older than them but also significantly cheaper, especially when compared to Lake View and Lake Grande. Location-wise, Parc Oasis is still more ideal, as it is just one stop to Jurong East MRT, compared to two for Lakeside.

There is just one condo development in close proximity to Jurong East MRT (unless you consider Ivory Heights as walkable — I find it a bit too far away) — J Gateway. The whole Jurong transformation has worked out well for this condo, which now boasts of a psf that is similar to resale condos in the RCR and even some CCR projects. The average launch price was just $1,480 psf. Consequently, Parc Oasis costs just under half psf wise.

Nevertheless, we also need to consider the fact that older developments have more maintenance issues and lease decay to contend with. Parc Oasis, in this case, does indeed have fewer years left on the lease compared to most of its competitors here bar The Mayfair. Hence, you will need to personally find value in the price (which is reasonable objectively) and appreciate its vast compounds with generous facilities that are hard to match.

Of course, if things do go your way and the Jurong Lake transformation turns out to be extremely successful, Parc Oasis residents might have a shot at an en-bloc, which will likely allow you to cash out or even make a small windfall. That said, this is purely speculative and should not be treated as a guarantee, even if your millionaire agent said so.

Appreciation analysis

Prices in Jurong have risen fairly significantly over the years and it is unsurprising when you consider the amount of investment the Government has been putting into this district. Starting with the speculation to the eventual announcement of the HSR in 2013, investors and home seekers have ploughed into the Jurong area.

Even though that project has since been put on hold, the Government’s plans to revitalise the area continue — with the Jurong Lake District and Jurong Innovation District being key initiatives anchoring asset growth in this area.

Do note that while the open land surrounding Parc Oasis (next to Boon Lay Way) is currently not utilised and serves as an effective buffer away from the traffic noise on this side, under the URA Masterplan this is zoned residential with a Gross Plot Ratio of 3.5.

Jurong Lake District (JLD)

According to the URA Masterplan, the 360-hectare JLD will be “the largest mixed-use business district outside the city centre, with quality offices, housing, amenities, and abundant green spaces”.

This plan takes advantage of its proximity to Singapore’s first two universities — NUS and NTU and the ready talent pool through its one million residents in Jurong. Beyond that, the four MRT lines that will serve the area by 2035 will also help residents, workers and visitors have better accessibility across the rest of Singapore.

Beyond jobs, liveability will also be enhanced in URA’s plans. There will be 100 hectares of park and greenery, and a 70ha lake with 17km of active waterfront. The existing Chinese and Japanese Gardens will also be redeveloped, as with the Singapore Science Centre.

Plans are also in place for a large scale tourist development adjacent to Chinese Garden MRT, which is also beside Parc Oasis, making the condo a direct beneficiary of these plans. That said, this will be built progressively and it will be at least five to 10 years before they come to fruition.

Jurong Innovation District (JID)

Not too far away, the JID aspires to be an “industrial district for advanced manufacturing, supporting an ecosystem of manufacturers, technology providers, researchers and education institutions with Nanyang Technological University nearby.”

Overall, this will be planned and managed by JTC and currently comprises five precincts across Talent & Training, Research & Development, Technology Providers, and Factories of the Future. It already includes MNCs such as Hyundai Motor, Shimano, Siemens, Konica Minolta, and A* Research.

Singapore-KL High Speed Rail (On Hold)

First conceived in 2013 under the previous Malaysian leadership of Najib Razak, and slated for completion in 2026, the HSR has gone through various stages of hope and disappointment in the years after.

The proposed 90-minute HSR commute from Singapore to KL represented potential for commerce and travel with Singapore’s station slated to be at Jurong East. Raffles Country Club and Jurong Country Club were acquired by the Singapore government in anticipation of this, as we made concrete plans to go ahead with this ambitious project.

Finally, in January 2021, after several postponements, Malaysia announced the discontinuation of the HSR project. I am still hopeful that this will be revived someday, given the economic benefits this may bring to both sides but until that day comes, we can only wait in anticipation.

Our take

Parc Oasis is an attractive development that is well maintained for its age. I like the spacious grounds and the plentiful facilities that come with it, including the four tennis courts, two squash courts, and the standard facilities that are packaged with a full condo development. The amenities afforded by the nearby HDB estates also mean that you will never go hungry here, and definitely without having to break the bank for it.

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Drivers will also be pleased that PIE is just a two-minute drive away while those taking the train have the Chinese Garden MRT sheltered throughout the entire walk. Many of the bigger developments in Singapore have the advantage of space but are often not as directly connected to an MRT station like Parc Oasis.

Amenities nearby are plentiful and sufficient, with two hawker centres and a market, which are all sheltered as well. More importantly, Jurong has so many transformation plans in the works, with the transformation of Jurong Lake and Chinese Garden right at Parc Oasis’ doorstep.

The overall goal is to make Jurong a second CBD, or at least to bring about more commerce opportunities to the area. This bodes well for Parc Oasis, as the landmark development in the area, standing tall since 1995.

That said, the only real downside to this project is its age. For Singaporeans fixated on freehold/new properties, Parc Oasis will certainly not tick the box for you. But for those among us who value spacious grounds and larger units as homes, Parc Oasis could well be worth considering, especially with an average psf of below $1,000.

It’s purely speculative but who knows what might happen if and when the Jurong transformation takes off. Parc Oasis might well be a candidate for an en-bloc and you might even get to see some upside.

Till then, however, you should enjoy and appreciate the convenience, views, and facilities that Parc Oasis has to offer when considering this development.

This article was first published in Stackedhomes.

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