Nestled within the heart of Singapore's prime research and development (R&D) precinct, Media Circle is set to become a flourishing neighbourhood to complement the business hubs located in one-north. In order to support housing demand in the area, more high-density residential developments are in the works, paving the way for one-north to become a vibrant mixed-use district to work, live and play.

The latest addition to private housing in the area is the plot in Media Circle Parcel A, a 0.76-hectare site that can yield an estimated 325 residential units and 400 sq m of commercial space. In a public land tender that closed on 4 March 2025, the site drew a top bid of $315 million from a consortium comprising of CNQC Realty (Bloomsbury), Forsea Residence and Hoovasun Holding. The bid price works out to a land rate of $1,037 psf per plot ratio (psf ppr) and is the third of four sites to be released for tender in Media Circle since 2023.

This subject site is opposite the upcoming Bloomsbury Residences, which is expected to be launched for sale by the developer in Q2 2025. The site where Bloomsbury Residences sits was also purchased by a joint venture between Qingjian Realty and Forsea Residence at a land rate of $1,191 psf ppr for the 1.06-hectare plot. PropNex Picks understands that for the Media Circle (Parcel A) plot, the fact that the commercial component would be classified as common-space for the development was taken into consideration in determining the land bid. To this end, the commercial space in the development cannot be sold off, and matters pertaining to the management of the commercial space and revenue collection will be handled by the future MCST.

At the heart of Singapore's R&D hub

The Media Circle plot is within close proximity to one-north, the 200-hectare precinct which aims to combine educational institutes, residences and recreation with state-of-the-art research facilities. This led to the establishment of nine developments, including but not limited to: Biopolis, Fusionopolis, Mediapolis, and LaunchPad among others. Since its inception, one-north has become a buzzing district for innovators, technopreneurs, researchers, students, as well as media and infocomm professionals.

Looking ahead, the Singapore government remains committed towards investing in and strengthening R&D infrastructure to help to drive growth in the precinct. In Budget 2025, it was announced that there are plans to refresh the public biosciences and medtech research infrastructure in the greater one-north area, which will provide more state-of-the-arts facilities.

A thriving R&D sector in one-north will draw companies and bring in more jobs, which will attract more professionals and talent to work in the area. Apart from one-north, the Media Circle site is also located close to other employment areas, such as the Science Park, the National University of Singapore (NUS), and the National University Hospital (NUH). These developments may potentially spur the residential leasing demand as well as home buying interest in that area.

A hope of things to come

Presently, there may not be a comprehensive range of amenities in the Media Circle area. However, as more sites are being tendered and sold, and more housing introduced, it is likely to beef up commercial offerings as well. For instance, the subject site in Media Circle Parcel A will have an estimated 400 sq m of commercial space on the first storey. Similarly, nearby Bloomsbury Residences and another government land sale site (Media Circle Parcel B) are both zoned for residential with commercial at first storey use.

In terms of connectivity, the site is not particularly close to the MRT station, with the nearest being one-north MRT station on the Circle Line which is slightly more than 1 km from the plot (or 15 to 20 minutes' walk away). However, a bus service (191) currently runs a trunk route from Buona Vista and loops at Media Circle, taking commuters to both the one-north station and the Buona Vista interchange MRT station.

Once in Buona Vista, the variety of retail and F&B options open up further, with cafes, eateries and shops at The Star Vista, Rochester mall, Holland Village, and the One Holland Village shopping mall.

Proximity to schools

The plot is near to various schools, though there is only one primary school located within a 1-km distance - being New Town Primary School. Other educational institutes in the area include the NUS, INSEAD, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Fairfield Methodist Primary and Secondary schools, Anglo-Chinese Junior College, and the Tanglin Trust School.

About the developer

CNQC Realty (Bloomsbury) is a subsidiary of Qingjian Group, who is no stranger to the property scene in Singapore and is experienced in property development within the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Some of its past local residential projects include The Arden, Altura, Tenet, Forett At Bukit Timah and JadeScape, with Bloomsbury Residences as its latest upcoming development.

Meanwhile, Forsea Residence is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company Limited (known as CCCC), a leading global comprehensive service provider of ultra-large infrastructure. They are mainly engaged in the investment, construction and operation of transportation infrastructure, equipment manufacturing, as well as real estate and urban development. CCCC has been in the business for more than 100 years, and provided products and services in more than 150 countries. CCCC is listed in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

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