[Open House] Coastal Cabana’s launch momentum and Marina Bay’s next big leap

This week on Open House, CNA’s Susan Ng and 99.co’s Felicia Tan explored two very different but equally telling stories about Singapore’s property landscape. One sits by the coast, backed by nature and family-friendly living. The other rises in the heart of the CBD, where Singapore’s most ambitious urban transformation is unfolding. Both reflect bigger themes shaping buyer behaviour, demand, and the future of how Singaporeans will live, work, and play.

They begin in Pasir Ris, where Coastal Cabana, the latest executive condominium in the East, is gearing up for launch. The second half brings us into the city centre, where Marina Bay continues to reinvent itself — this time, not just as a business district, but as a sustainable, people-focused neighbourhood.

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Coastal Cabana: Seaside EC with resort-style facilities

Coastal Cabana sits across from Downtown East at Jalan Loyang Besar, offering 748 units on a sizeable 305,000 sqft plot — a rarity for an EC, especially in the East. As PropNex Associate Group Director Marcus Tan puts it, the development “blends coastal charm with modern living.”

The EC focuses on practicality and liveability, offering 3- to 5-bedroom layouts. According to Marcus, “the unit mix offers more generous layouts for larger families.” This aligns with typical EC demand — HDB upgraders wanting more space, young families planning ahead, and first-timers drawn to the price advantage over private condos.

Read our full review of Coastal Cabana here!

Resort-style facilities

With more than 300,000 sqft to work with, the developer has filled the site with a full suite of lifestyle amenities. Marcus highlights facilities “such as resort-themed swimming pools, gyms, fitness decks, co-working space, kids’ water play and playgrounds, dining pavilion, [and a] tennis court.” The coastal landscaping strengthens the beachfront vibe, making the EC feel like a low-density resort enclave.

Best of lifestyle convenience

One of the development’s biggest advantages is simply its location next to the Downtown East lifestyle hub — “one traffic light away,” Marcus says. With cinemas, F&B, arcades, waterpark attractions, gyms, and even an NTUC FairPrice, this is one of the rare ECs where residents can live car-lite comfortably. “If you need a haircut, it’s just across the road. If you’re not feeling well, the clinic is there,” Marcus says. For families, this proximity matters.

Beyond Downtown East, residents enjoy easy access to Pasir Ris Park, one of Singapore’s largest coastal parks. Marcus paints a picture of the lifestyle: “mangrove boardwalk, bird watching, fishing spot, cycling, jogging, barbecue pits, kayaking, and water sports.” It’s a resort lifestyle with authentic nature at the doorstep.

Connectivity: The CRL as a market catalyst

Driving access is straightforward via the TPE, PIE, and ECP, but the real catalyst ahead is the Cross Island Line (CRL). Marcus calls the CRL “a game changer for Pasir Ris,” reducing cross-island travel times significantly. “In the past, it took 40 minutes to travel from Punggol to Pasir Ris. But with this Cross Island Line, it takes a mere 15 minutes.” According to him, this isn’t just a convenience upgrade; it directly impacts buyer sentiment and long-term demand.

Strong built-up demand for Coastal Cabana

Coastal Cabana is entering a market where EC supply in the East has been scarce for more than a decade. As Marcus points out, the last EC was launched more than 10 years ago, which already sets the stage for significant pent-up demand among families waiting for an opportunity in Pasir Ris.

But the demand pressure doesn’t stop there. A meaningful spillover is expected from unsuccessful buyers of Tampines’ earlier EC launch, Aurelle of Tampines. Marcus breaks down the numbers: “There were 1,771 applications… only 760 were successful,” leaving more than 1,000 unsuccessful applicants who are still actively searching for an EC in the East. Many of them are likely to pivot straight to Coastal Cabana.

On top of that, Coastal Cabana holds a unique position in the pipeline. As Marcus notes, it is “the second last EC in the East,” a detail that naturally triggers buyer urgency. In his words, “nowadays, there’s this thing called FOMO… everybody will tend to want to rush in and buy.” With limited upcoming options and an established upgrading demographic in Pasir Ris and Tampines, the project is poised to attract strong, motivated demand from day one.

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Future growth in Pasir Ris

Pasir Ris is changing rapidly. The former bus interchange will become a mixed-use community hub with housing, commercial units, and cycling/walking green networks linking all the way to Tampines. More homes are also planned near the upcoming Elias MRT on the CRL, slated for 2032.

The influx of new homes will create a steady stream of future upgraders. As Marcus explains, once these new HDB owners hit their MOP, “they will be the potential upgraders to buy the units from Coastal Cabana,” providing a ready pool of demand when first owners eventually decide to sell. This positions the EC strongly not just for its launch, but for its resale prospects down the road.

Marina Bay: Singapore’s next chapter of city-centre living

While Pasir Ris is transforming into a lifestyle-focused suburban hub, Marina Bay tells a very different story — one about how Singapore evolves its global centre into a liveable, sustainable, community-driven neighbourhood. ERA’s Key Executive Officer Eugene Lim joined us to unpack what’s next for this world-famous district.

From reclaimed land to a real livable neighbourhood

Eugene begins by looking back at Marina Bay’s origins. In the 1980s, the district was first developed “to meet Singapore’s growing economic ambitions.” The goal was to strengthen Singapore as a business, convention, and tourism hub. This is the strategy that birthed landmarks like Suntec City, Marina Square, Marina Bay Sands, and later the Marina Bay Financial Centre.

As Eugene explains, “the CBD expanded from its traditional core in the Raffles Place and Shenton Way area into Marina Bay… newer buildings were built, larger offerings, more modern space.” But even as the business district flourished, something was missing — life after dark.

Today, the next phase of Marina Bay’s development is actively underway. Eugene shares that “more new mixed-use precincts” are emerging, blending homes, offices, retail and lifestyle offerings. The aim is to reverse the long-standing pattern where “when the lights of the office go off, the whole city is dark.”

Instead, Marina Bay is being reshaped into a lively neighbourhood that doesn’t empty out after work. “You don’t have to leave the area,” Eugene says. “You just stay there.”

Planning from a blank canvas

One unique advantage Marina Bay had from the start was the nature of reclaimed land. Planners had, as Eugene puts it, “a clean slate… a blank canvas” to work with. Without legacy constraints, the URA could plan wide boulevards, large open spaces and a flexible land-use strategy. The Government Land Sales (GLS) programme releases plots progressively, allowing planning parameters to evolve with the district’s needs.

This “forward-looking approach,” Eugene says, is what enabled Marina Bay to develop “higher, nicer buildings,” and now, “blend lifestyle offerings into the city.”

Three pillars: Green, Blue and Cool

Eugene identifies three principles guiding Marina Bay’s transformation into a model for future city living:

1. Green: Lush greenery woven throughout the district
2. Blue: Integration of waterfront and water features
3. Cool: Eco-friendly design and naturally ventilated spaces

“With greenery and water, you cool the area,” Eugene explains. The goal is a district that feels comfortable on foot — especially important in Singapore’s heat.

The 10-minute neighbourhood

As Singapore moves into a car-lite future, Marina Bay is being shaped into a “10-minute neighbourhood.” Homes, offices, retail, hotels, public transport and daily amenities are designed to sit within a short, comfortable walk. This is supported by two MRT stations, underground walkways and even elevated green bridges that knit the area together.

Eugene highlights how powerful this is for residents: “It is actually very convenient to walk or even cycle to and from MRT stations… You are connected to everywhere in Singapore.” New developments like W Residences Marina View benefit immensely. They are surrounded by five MRT stations, all within a 2 to less than 10-minute walk.

While some may wonder if early residents of new projects will feel alone in a developing district, Eugene disagrees. The surrounding CBD already has established amenities: “cafes, restaurants, late-night dining, supermarkets, childcare centres, gyms…” The retail mix has shifted in recent years to cater to new residents, and the CBD is no longer a place that sleeps.

“There is more injection of life into the CBD area,” Eugene explains. It is a trend that will only continue.

Designing for community, not just commerce

The upcoming 10,000 new homes planned for Marina Bay will include both private housing and prime-location public housing. Eugene explains that to keep the area inclusive, “you have to have a wide spectrum of housing types,” alongside community spaces for arts, sports, and social activities.

Prime HDB flats here will come with a subsidy recovery framework, which keeps affordability in check while ensuring the neighbourhood remains open to more than just high-end buyers.

For Marina Bay to feel truly lived-in, the URA is emphasising human-scale design: smaller plazas, shaded courtyards, walkable streets, and strategic building placement to improve airflow. It is about “how you walk around, what you see, how you feel.” Even in an urban landscape, greenery and spacing help you stay outdoors comfortably.

Neighbourhoods such as Pearl’s Hill and Tanjong Pagar illustrate how older city-centre districts can be revitalised into vibrant residential hubs. Eugene notes that Singapore’s planning focus has shifted, from decentralising jobs to drawing people back into the city centre for liveability, convenience, and urban lifestyle.

“The city centre is now looking a lot more appealing,” he says, offering schools, lifestyle amenities, social spaces and community areas.

A future of lively everyday life

Marina Bay is synonymous with major events. Think of fireworks, parades, and races that close roads and draw crowds. While these can be minor inconveniences, Eugene believes they’re part of the charm. Big events happen “quite possibly twice a year,” and for many residents, they simply become part of life. Or, as Eugene jokes, they just mean more friends asking, “Can I come to your house to watch the fireworks?”

Looking five to ten years ahead, Eugene believes signs of success are already visible: “If you go to the city centre… in the evenings or weekends, it’s actually not empty anymore. It’s quite crowded.” As planners remain committed to the three transformation pillars, Marina Bay will increasingly feel like a lived-in, energetic neighbourhood, and not just a global postcard skyline.

“It will just be part of our life,” Eugene says — a place where people work, live, and stay in the CBD.

Wrapping up

Pasir Ris is maturing into a vibrant, coastal, family-friendly town with strong connectivity upgrades, while Marina Bay is redefining what it means to live in the city centre. Both tell a cohesive story of how Singapore continues to evolve its urban fabric, creating neighbourhoods that are greener, more inclusive, more connected, and ultimately more liveable.

Whether you’re a family eyeing a seaside EC or a buyer exploring the future of city living, this edition of Open House offers a preview of the kind of neighbourhoods shaping Singapore’s next chapter.

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