The Greater Southern Waterfront Review: A Property Market Outlook & Review

The Greater Southern Waterfront (GSW) is one of Singapore’s most ambitious long-term redevelopment plans, set to reshape the southern coastline into a vibrant live-work-play district and an emerging property hotspot with strong investment potential.

Spanning about 2,000 hectares across 30km of coastline, it will gradually unlock new housing, commercial spaces, lifestyle attractions, parks, and transport links over the next two to three decades.

When the Greater Southern Waterfront was first announced in 2013, it immediately drew attention from property investors, developers, and homeowners because a major urban transformation of this scale tends to have a powerful ripple effect on surrounding property values.

As the area is refreshed and new projects are launched at higher benchmark prices, nearby developments can benefit from stronger investment sentiment and improved long-term prospects.

 

Why the Excitement Over The Greater Southern Waterfront Transformation

The Greater Southern Waterfront represents more than just land redevelopment; it is a strategic effort to extend Singapore’s city centre southward and create a more vibrant urban core.

The project will span key areas such as Marina South, Tanjong Pagar, Keppel, Harbourfront, Sentosa, Labrador Park, Pasir Panjang, and all the way to West Coast Park, linking them into a more cohesive and attractive waterfront district.

One of the main objectives behind the GSW is “decentralised re-centralisation,” which aims to bring life back into the central region after office hours by integrating homes, offices, retail, recreation, and lifestyle offerings.

This helps eliminate the one-dimensional, purely commercial CBD and instead creates a more balanced and socially active neighbourhood.

 

Major Redevelopment Zones in Greater Southern Waterfront

With the Greater Southern Waterfront spanning 30km along Singapore’s southern coast, specific areas have emerged as leading development zones. These include the following:

 

Marina South

Under the URA Master Plan, the 45-hectare Marina South precinct is envisioned as a sustainable, car-lite, 10-minute mixed-use neighbourhood featuring over 10,000 new homes. Following the launch of One Marina Gardens, 15 more land plots are earmarked for private and public housing.

Seamlessly integrated next to Gardens by the Bay, this eco-friendly district prioritises pedestrian-first streets, green corridors, extensive cycling infrastructure, and seamless MRT connectivity.

All developments must meet strict green standards, incorporating native biodiversity, wind-channelling architecture, and eco-friendly systems to create a climate-resilient urban village.

These developments matter for property investors because they can materially improve the precinct’s appeal, making it a more vibrant, future-ready mixed-use district instead of a typical residential enclave.

 

New Wellness Attraction and Major Commercial Developments

A major new attraction, Therme Singapore, is slated to open in 2030. It will be the first dedicated large-scale wellness facility to be built. Located next to Gardens by the Bay and Marina Barrage, it will offer more than 20 pools and water features, and over 70 wellness treatment rooms.

This wellness attraction will fit well into the URA’s vision to draw activity into the precinct after office hours, complementing the residential and commercial developments already underway nearby.

In addition to Therme Singapore, an integrated cruise and ferry terminal and a MICE hub will also be developed at Marina South. To be completed in the 2030s, they will bolster Singapore’s position as a global tourism and business nexus, attracting high-value visitors.

These developments will reinforce Marina South’s position as one of the earliest and most important precincts to take shape within the broader GSW transformation.

Therefore, recent new property launches in the area, such as One Marina Gardens, W Residences Marina View, and Newport Residences, will stand to benefit significantly when these developments take shape.

 

Land Released from Former City Port Terminals

A key part of the transformation lies in the redevelopment of former port terminals. The relocation of the Tanjong Pagar, Keppel, and Pulau Brani terminals to Tuas by 2027 will free up substantial land for future use, while the Pasir Panjang Terminal is expected to be vacated by 2040.

In total, around 1,000 hectares of land will eventually be released for redevelopment, with plans to build public and private waterfront homes, expand the Central Business District, and create a car-lite, eco-friendly district with advanced coastal protection features.

 

Former Keppel Club Site

The former Keppel Club site is another major focal point, with plans to develop around 9,000 to 10,000 new homes comprising a mix of HDB flats and private residences. Supported by greenery, waterfront views, and close proximity to two MRT stations – Telok Blangah and Labrador Park - they are expected to appeal to both homebuyers and investors.

So far, four projects have been launched – two private and two public.

 

Private Housing Development

For private housing, the first government land sale (GLS) site was awarded to the Kingsford Group in November 2025 at a land cost of $1,326 psf ppr. The 147,346 sq ft site is expected to yield approximately 745 units.

The second site was launched in May 2026 under the 1H2026 GLS Programme. Spanning 271,932 sq ft, it is expected to yield about 415 private homes. The tender for this site is currently underway and is set to close on August 4, 2026.

 

Public Housing Development

For public housing, the first BTO launch is Berlayar Residences in October 2025. It offers 870 units across 2-room Flexi, 3-room, and 4-room flat configurations, as well as 200 public rental units.

The second BTO launch is Berlayar Rise in June 2026. It offers a massive 1,976 units of 2-room Flexi, 3-room, and 4-room flats) spread across 6 residential blocks reaching up to 49 storeys high.

Both projects, under the Prime category, which comes with a 10-year MOP and subsidy clawback. But they did not deter HDB flat applicants, as witnessed by the high oversubscription rates.

 

Housing Supply from En Bloc Redevelopments

New private housing supply is expected to be driven predominantly by the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme, which will remain the primary and predictable source for residential development.

While en bloc redevelopments may add to new housing supply, their contribution is likely to be limited due to strict regulatory requirements, difficulty in securing majority owner consensus and pricing expectations, which constrain the success of such transactions.

That said, many ageing freehold developments in the Pasir Panjang and West Coast areas could emerge as potential en bloc candidates over time when rising maintenance costs become increasingly unsustainable.

In the past decade, developments that succeeded in en bloc sales are:

• The Hillshore (former Gloria Mansion, January 2022).
• Terra Hill (former Flynn Park, September 2021).
• Harbour View Gardens (retained the same name, February 2018).
• Kent Ridge Hill Residences (former Vista Park, December 2017).
• The Verandah Residences (former Redwood West, July 2017).

 

Sustainability And Heritage In Greater Southern Waterfront Development

A major distinguishing feature of the GSW is the incorporation of green corridors, waterfront promenades, coastal resilience measures, and multiple parks, making it one of Singapore’s most environmentally integrated master plans.

Four new parks under the Labrador Nature Park Network will improve biodiversity and green connectivity across the southern region. Each will also serve a different recreational and ecological role, and they include:

• Alexandra Nature Park.
• Berlayer Creek Nature Park.
• Park at Keppel Club.
• Park at King’s Dock.

At the same time, the authorities are also looking to preserve selected heritage and industrial structures, including the Prima Flour Mills, some of the wharves of the former port terminals, and the Pasir Panjang Power District.

The aim is to retain the area’s character while preventing GSW from feeling overly generic or disconnected from Singapore’s maritime history.

Greater Sentosa Master Plan

The Sentosa–Brani Master Plan, now renamed as the Greater Sentosa Master Plan, forms a key pillar of the Greater Southern Waterfront (GSW) transformation. Targeted for completion by 2045, it aims to position the area as a world-class lifestyle destination.

Key developments include a new transport hub linking Sentosa and Pulau Brani (the latter to be renamed Downtown South), replacement of the Sentosa Express, rejuvenation of beaches with coastal protection, and new attractions such as Imbiah Canopy and a better-connected waterfront experience.

Additional plans include new coastal trails, expanded event spaces, hotels, and lifestyle attractions, all aimed at doubling visitor numbers over time.

Meanwhile, a study has been undertaken to implement a potential people-mover system linking Pulau Brani to mainland Singapore via the Keppel Link bridge. If implemented, this would improve accessibility and enhance the visitor experience.

Along with the commercial and leisure developments at Marina South, they will reinforce the Greater Southern Waterfront as a vibrant and exciting place to live, work, and play.

In terms of property investment, this is significant because leisure districts often generate strong demand for nearby homes.