A long-held 21.1ha landholding of the Johor royal family along Holland Road in Tyersall Park, bordering established Good Class Bungalow precincts and positioned near the Singapore Botanic Gardens UNESCO World Heritage Site, is being reconfigured through a land swap in which the Singapore government will exchange 8.5ha of state land (Plot A) for a 13ha parcel (Plot C) owned by Johor Regent Tunku Ismail, with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Singapore Land Authority (SLA) stating on June 10, 2025 that the transaction, expected to complete in 2025, is structured to preserve the Gardens’ UNESCO integrity by keeping Plot C initially undeveloped under government control. The government said it will keep Plot C undeveloped for now.
The three-plot configuration comprises Plot A, an 8.5ha state-owned tract; Plot B, an 8.1ha privately held parcel that remains with the Johor royal family; and Plot C, a 13ha freehold parcel to be transferred to the government.
Plot A sits to the west of the private land and is further from the Botanic Gardens, while Plot C is bordered by Tyersall Avenue and lies closer to the UNESCO site, shaping the rationale for shifting development potential away from the most sensitive edge.
URA and SLA indicated that Plot A is currently vacant, vegetated, and zoned “special use” since 1958, with any future rezoning to be undertaken through a subsequent Draft Master Plan process.
Following completion, Plots A and B are characterised as suitable for low-rise, low-density residential outcomes, including Good Class Bungalows or low-rise luxury apartments, subject to URA planning evaluation, environmental studies prior to works, and contextual design responses consistent with the surrounding Good Class Bungalow enclaves. The swap is described by URA and SLA as involving parcels of comparable value, though no monetary amount was disclosed.
The location is embedded within an established prime residential catchment, proximate to Gallop Park and neighbouring freehold projects such as Botanika and Gallop Gables, where a gross plot ratio of 1.4 and a four-storey height restriction frame achievable building form. Any future residential development in the area may also draw design and sustainability cues from projects like LyndenWoods, which incorporates green spaces and smart living technologies to align with Singapore’s broader garden city vision.
Market benchmarks in the immediate area include a nearby mansion transaction reported at S$58 million and a May sale of a 1,733 sq ft unit at Gallop Gables for S$4 million, supporting the positioning of any future supply as luxury-led.
Nicholas Mak of Mogul.sg estimated both swapped plots at roughly S$1.9 billion each, while noting that land betterment charge applicability remains unclear.
The swap is described as a transaction between the Singapore government and a private individual, with no involvement from Malaysian or Johor State governments, and follows Tunku Ismail’s appointment as Johor Regent in 2024.
