6,000 new BTO flats to be built at Mount Pleasant, will repurpose Old Police Academy sites

The Housing & Development Board (HDB) has unveiled its masterplan for developing the new Mount Pleasant housing estate into a tapestry of homes, heritage, and nature.

About 6,000 new flats will be built on the 33-hectare site over four BTO projects, up from the 5,000 flats over six projects previously announced in March — a revision made based on further detailed planning studies.

The first BTO project, launching in October 2025, will be called Mount Pleasant Crest. It will comprise of about 1,350 units of two-room Flexi to four-room flats, and 270 units of public rental flats.

Home buyers interested in Mount Pleasant Crest will have the option to choose an open-concept layout, which creates a contiguous living and bedroom space without partition walls.

Known as the White Flat layout, it has only been offered once to date, at Crawford Heights in October 2024, where about four in 10 people wanted the layout.

The other BTO projects at Mount Pleasant will be progressively launched over the next few years.

Integrating police heritage

For 76 years, from 1929 to 2005, the Mount Pleasant area was home to the Old Police Academy (OPA), Singapore's first police academy.

The colonial government built grand bungalows there for high-ranking officers to live in, according to Singapore Infopedia.

Much attention has been paid to sensitively conserving and integrating this history into the new estate.

HDB has conducted a detailed heritage study in consultation with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the National Heritage Board (NHB), and various heritage groups.

HDB also consulted an OPA Workgroup specially formed in 2021 for this conservation project, which was co-led by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), and comprised members from URA, NHB, former police officers, and architectural heritage specialists.

With their recommendations, one of the plans to highlight the legacy of Mount Pleasant is to reflect it in the road names and architecture.

For example, there will be an "Old Police Academy Road", an "Onraet Road", and a "Wong Chin Yoke Road", the last two named after significant figures in the history of the police force.

The design of a verandah connecting the precincts in Mount Pleasant will also take inspiration from the colonial architecture of OPA's buildings, featuring a clay-coloured roof, latticed panels, and more.

Repurposing OPA spaces

HDB also plans to repurpose parts of the OPA deemed to have great significance to its heritage.

Four blocks will be conserved and transformed into facilities, including a Neighbourhood Police Post and an SPF Heritage Gallery. Part of the former OPA parade square will be retained as a community space.

HDB will also convert starter blocks from the OPA swimming pool, a training facility launched in 1977, into seating at the drop-off porch of Mount Pleasant Crest.

Trusses and columns from the Old Drill Shed, one of the earliest buildings in the OPA whose construction began in 1927, will be reused in the precinct pavilion.

These structures will go through comprehensive treatment processes during the construction of Mount Pleasant Crest, to ensure their long-term durability and structural integrity.

Greenery and connectivity

Future residents of Mount Pleasant will be able to enjoy green spaces and convenient access to amenities.

There will be new roads constructed, added bus services, and the upcoming Mount Pleasant MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line to provide various travel options within and beyond the estate.

Envisioning a car-lite Mount Pleasant, HDB will also build an extensive network of wide cycling lanes and pedestrian footpaths connecting residents to amenities and transport.

These paths will be lined with trees, as part of the estate's sustainable design.

Residents can also expect a variety of new retail shops, eateries, and healthcare services in Mount Pleasant as the estate continues to develop.

The public can find out more about the plans for Mount Pleasant at an exhibition at Level 1 of HDB Hub from Sep. 24.

Top images from HDB and URA