A new hub will gradually take shape in Toa Payoh West over the next 10 years. Residents interviewed welcomed the plans, hoping the new facilities will make shopping and leisure activities more convenient. Some are also considering applying for new flats so they can continue living in the familiar town.
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced on Saturday (31 October) that more than 6,000 homes, mainly public housing, will be added in Toa Payoh West, along with a mall, parks and community facilities around Caldecott MRT Station.
In response to queries from Lianhe Zaobao (LHZB), HDB said the developments in Toa Payoh West would be rolled out progressively. The mixed-use development around Caldecott MRT Station will proceed in tandem with works on supporting infrastructure, such as roads and utilities in the area.
The authorities will announce the detailed development timeline when ready.
Toa Payoh West will feature a “Hillside Gardens” neighbourhood designed around its hilly terrain. A central green valley will link homes, the MRT station and the new mall, while a 15-metre-wide, tree-lined community corridor will connect Caldecott MRT Station and Toa Payoh Lorong 1.
Data centre engineer Elisabel Lim, 32, and her husband moved into their Build-To-Order (BTO) flat at Toa Payoh Ridge in Toa Payoh West just four months ago. She told LHZB that she was looking forward to new commercial facilities in the Caldecott area, which would give her more shopping and dining options near home.
“There are quite a few coffee shops and minimarts near the new flats, but we still often go to Toa Payoh Central to shop. We hope that with a new supermarket and mall, we will be able to meet our daily needs right at our doorstep.”
Healthcare administrator Heng Wei Cheng, 35, who has lived in Toa Payoh East for about five years, is considering applying for a flat at Toa Payoh Hillside, a BTO project in Toa Payoh West to be launched in November.
He said in an interview that when he was preparing to start a family in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic had left BTO flats in short supply. To avoid delaying his plans, he bought a resale HDB flat with more than 60 years left on its lease.
“We have just completed five years in our flat and would like to move to a new one with a longer lease. Toa Payoh is near town, and it is convenient to get anywhere. We very much hope to buy a new home in Toa Payoh West and continue living in a town we know well.”
