Jewel of the West: Why upgrade to the New Icon of the Jurong Lake District, Singapore’s largest Growth Hotspot
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SORA - Infinite skies for unlimited possibilities! Find out why this stellar Jurong Lake District launch ticks all the right boxes for real estate investment.
Despite being a North-Eastie for much of my life, I’ve always been a fan of Jurong (maybe it’s nostalgia from the late nights I had traipsing back to my NTU hostel from Zouk on Ladies Nights).
And the stats align. Over the past decade, private condominium prices in Jurong have generally seen a steady rise. The average price of a private condo in Jurong West, for instance, rose significantly from around S$677,768 in 2008 to approximately S$1.26 million in 2018, marking an 86% increase.
For resale HDB flats in Jurong West, the average price for a 4-room HDB flat ranged from S$480,322 for older units (21-25 years old) to S$564,572 for newer units (5-10 years old) in 2024. Similarly, 5-room flats in the same area showed prices between S$559,496 and S$685,347, depending on the age and condition of the property. And rate of appreciation is poised to accelerate faster than many other OCR regions.
So what’s the appeal of D22?
The Jurong Lake District Master Plan, initiated by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), aims to transform the Jurong Lake District into a vibrant, mixed-use business district ie. Singapore’s second Central Business District (CBD), integrating commercial, residential, and recreational spaces. Key infrastructural enhancements include improved public transport connectivity, with the Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line, and green mobility solutions to support a car-lite environment.
In addition to its economic ambitions, the Jurong Lake District Master Plan emphasizes sustainability and quality of life. The plan incorporates extensive green spaces, such as the expanded Jurong Lake Gardens, and innovations in urban design, smart technology, and energy efficiency are also being piloted, serving as a testbed for new technologies and sustainable urban solutions.
Key industries being set up in JLD include technology and innovation sectors, supported by the nearby Jurong Innovation District and Nanyang Technological University. The area will also host various businesses committed to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, making it a hub for sustainability-focused enterprises. The district’s development includes plans for 100,000 new jobs and 20,000 new homes by 2040-2050, enhancing its appeal as a major commercial and residential hub.
We peered into the URA Master Plan crystal ball - and SORA answered
What is SORA?
SORA means ‘Infinite Skies’ and is a 99 year leasehold condominium with 440 luxury units and a 300m frontage overlooking Jurong Lake Gardens (Singapore’s 2nd largest National Garden) ie. unblocked park views! No looking into neighbours’ units! And most importantly, awesome Feng-shui with greenery before you and industrial and commercial behind you - forming the business and innovation backbone of our country.
Think the best way to compare this is owning an apartment on Upper West Side overlooking New York’s Central Park. Imagine jogging in Chinese Gardens and looking up at your unit and ‘am Cheo’ - “Oh man, I own this!” How dope is that?
Comprising of 2 blocks of 12 and 20 storey apartments respectively and sitting on the largest residential land parcel size in the Jurong Lake District, unit types range from 1BR+S to 5BR. And yes, this means the lowest project density compared to neighbouring new launches.
As usual, 1BR+S are the most popular and limited (these are expected to sell out at launch so take action quick..)
Built by renowned developer Sing-Haiyi, SORA was insightfully designed to hold over 60 facilities for residents, and direct access to the Jurong Lake Gardens. How many other properties can boast integration with a park at their doorstep? Moreover there’s 100% landscaping, ensuring the development is permeated by green in every corner, making your residency at SORA true garden living.
Check out the showflat walkthroughs here to see the efficiently laid out units:
For full floor plans and the e-brochure, ping me to have them sent to you, along with your VVIP preview slot. This stellar development is slated for TOP in 31 October 2028. The last day of the VVIP preview and chance to secure lowest and exclusive prices is 2 July (Tues) so book your appointment now!
Where is SORA?
Situated in one of Singapore’s 3 national gardens, Jurong Lake Gardens, as well as Jurong Lake District, the highly anticipated SORA luxury condominium occupies 17,834 sqm at 72-78 Yuan Ching Road in District 22 (the former Parkview Mansions).
Check out the drone video to show you the awesome park views you can expect.
Connecting SORA and the Jurong Lake District to other major business and education hubs like Woodlands Regional Centre, Paya Lebar Central, and Punggol Digital District are the upcoming Jurong Region Line and the Cross Island Line, slated to be completed in 2029 and 2032 respectively, shortly after its TOP date. SORA is also served by the nearby East-West line and North-South line via the Jurong East and Lakeside MRT stations, with a shuttle service available to access both stations.
The development is also conveniently surrounded by numerous tertiary institutions like NTU, NUS and SUSS, as well as both local and international schools. Moreover, it’s minutes away from the Taman Jurong Food Centre and a short door-to-door shuttle bus ride to leading heartland malls JEM and Westgate, as well as close access to the Ng Teng Fong Community Hospital and future Jurong East Integrated Transport Hub.
Of course, if you drive SORA is just a 15 minutes drive into the CBD and Central Singapore via the nearby PIE.
Why SORA?
One word: Iconic!
As a bag lover, SORA is pretty much the elusive black caviar Mini Rectangle flap bag (with gold hardware). It’s no longer produced, and resale prices are easily 30 percent above the lambskin and almost 50% for the newer editions. If you were lucky enough to score one at retail, this would probably be one of your fastest appreciating assets (if you aren’t rolling in dough after liquidating them).
Unique combination of Best-in-Class qualities
With the combination of it’s direct-park access location, beautiful wave-inspired wing shaped architecture (I mean, look at that facade), proximity to the 2nd CBD and plethora of facilities and amenities, there’s no other development in the district that matches it’s ideal culmination of Unique Selling Points to poise for fast appreciation and market leading rental yield.
2. Unbeatable price and value
My jaw dropped when I saw the launch price indications. Starting from $1850psf, and $99x,000 for a 1BR and Study unit, this is by far the most attractively priced development in the Jurong district with the lowest entry price with more facilities and a grander, more beautiful facade to boot.
By comparison, the near 91% sold J’den sold at an average of $2500 psf, with the lowest launch price of $1.23m, and Lakegarden Residences launched with an average of $2,100 psf, with a starting price of over $1.05m.
And if we do another comparison on pricing trends for the district in general, SORA still comes in at outstanding value, with prices below the OCR, D22 and D23 average.
So basically what it means is that in paper at a launch price of $1850psf versus average launch price of other D22 launches you will already nett a paper gain of 13.5%-35%, not factoring for definite upside.
This price, of course, is only valid for pre-launch, and given the amount of interest we have seen from savvy investors since the showroom opened a week ago, we are expecting pricing to rise quickly, in fact, likely during the booking weekend - so fingers crossed for a good ballot number! The cutoff to get your ballot number is 2 July, Tues - so please ensure your eligibility before then - it’s absolutely free to do so at the showroom!
3. Competitive advantage compared with neighbouring developments
A. Developmental plot size and project density
SORA has the largest plot area of 17,800 sqm among all the new launches in Jurong, yet has the lowest project density, with only 440 units. Compare this to J’den’s 352 units over 7.700 sqm and Lakegarden Residences’ 306 units across 12,500 sqm.
What this means - loads more space and room for facilities, gardens and this does not even include the Sky 360 viewing and activity decks.
B. Project appreciation potential and projected rental yield
So SORA has a great combination of USPs which really lends credulity to its Jewel of the West status, with swift appreciation potential and district defining rental yield.
Rarity: The largest development, lowest project density and largest plot ration in Singapore’s second CBD and largest growth hotspot - need I say more? There is only one last, smaller piece of land zoned for residential development in the JLD - which has not yet been put up for sale. This means you will be holding onto a rare gem -with definitive gains to be made for you asset in the short or mid term, whether for investment or own stay. And with such affordable pricing, the percentage rental yield and sale proceeds are so much more significant.
Yield: With an exuberant growth plan for the JLD, you’ll be seeing strong rental demand from foreign students in neighbouring tertiary institutions, skilled EP holders for the innovation and sustainability sectors over the next 5 years - and more importantly, immediate strong demand from upgraders in the Jurong and Tengah areas over a 5-10 year horizon.
While J’den is an integrated development with closer (but not direct access) to the Jurong East transport hub, SORA’s luxurious and suburban vibe is undisputed. Tenants are increasingly seeking properties with high quality amenties and sustainable features - 2 points which sets SORA clearly apart. And did I mention those high ceilings and direct park access? It’s a clear win for me.
C. It just looks good!
So I stay in the Kovan/Serangoon district and I recall my friend’s parents had bought Kovan Residences off-plan during pre-launch. When it was built, it was set side by side to Kovan Melody and oh man, you should have seen the ABSOLUTELY overjoyed ie. semi-smug look on her face. The glaring difference in the exterior of both developments was SO different!
And although both developments launched within 5 years of each other, Kovan Melody looked 10 years older and much less contemporary than Kovan Residences. Even now, average resale prices of Kovan Residences are 10-15% higher on average compared to Kovan Melody just next door.
Moral of the story - make sure that the smug look during SORA’s TOP is on your face, and not someone else’s.
How can I view the SORA showflat?
See the details below!
Please note that viewing is strictly by appointment only so do schedule your preview VVIP slot here
