This exposure exists because most buyers plan for the purchase, not what happens after, income shocks, retirement, or an MCST you didn't check. See where you actually stand before committing further.
- Retirement readiness
- Retrenchment resilience
- Legacy transfer exposure
🌟 STAR Scorecard, Union Square Residences · District 1 · 2026
James's professional assessment · Not investment advice
⚠ James's Warning — Read This Before You Commit
That 81/100 score doesn't discount for governance, because there's no clean comparable yet. Union Square is a 366-unit strata with residential and retail mixed together under one MCST, a genuinely different governance animal than a pure residential tower. CDL's own-managed developments have a defensible track record, but reputation isn't an AGM minute. What the committee composition and sinking fund contribution rate look like at year one is in Part 7: The Management Reality, or WhatsApp me directly and I'll walk you through what to check.
I cover Districts 20 and 26 primarily, Upper Thomson, Lentor, Bright Hill. Union Square Residences isn't my corridor. But the question buyers in my corridors keep asking me hasn't changed in months: if I can't afford Thomson Reserve or Dunearn House, is there something in the CCR that actually makes sense? For a specific buyer profile, this is that answer. And the reason I'm covering it is the same reason I cover anything outside my patch: because readers asked, and the numbers held up when I checked them.
Direct Answer
Union Square Residences is CDL's 366-unit conservation-zone development at 20 Havelock Road, District 1. Three MRT lines within walking distance, TOP 2028. CDL sold 37%+ at full price ($3,200 psf average, Nov 2024) before adjusting select stacks; the corridor since has cleared $3,000–$3,228 psf. My verdict: strong for a 7-to-10-year CCR hold, weaker for a short-term flip.
Complete Analysis
7-Layer Analysis — Union Square Residences
What the Market Is Telling You
20 Havelock Road sits inside the Singapore River Planning Area. One of the few heritage-conservation precincts left in the city. Shophouses along Boat Quay, conservation buildings along Circular Road, and the Clarke Quay cluster are protected under URA guidelines, which means the low-rise environment and river views around Union Square Residences cannot be built out by future development. That's a planning designation, not a marketing line, and it's the reason every comparable launch on this stretch of river has cleared at a premium to the broader CCR average.
CDL launched in November 2024 at an average $3,200 psf and sold over 37% of the 366 units at that price before adjusting pricing on selected stacks. The most recent recorded transaction, a penthouse in February 2026, went for $3,828 psf. Every comparable Singapore River launch since 2025 cleared in the same $3,000–$3,228 psf band: River Green at Robertson Quay ($3,128 median, 88% sold launch weekend), Zyon Grand at Havelock MRT ($3,048 median, 84% launch weekend, ~90% sold since), River Modern at Clarke Quay ($3,228 median, 90% launch weekend). Union Square sits inside that same band. The corridor sets the reference point here; this project tracks it, launch to launch.
| Project | Location | Launch PSF | Take-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Green | Robertson Quay, D9 | $3,128 median | 88% launch weekend |
| Zyon Grand | Havelock MRT, D2 | $3,048 median | 84%, ~90% sold since |
| River Modern | Clarke Quay, D6 | $3,228 median | 90% launch weekend |
| Union Square Residences | Singapore River, D1 | $3,200 avg, record $3,828 (Feb 2026) | 37%+ sold at full price |
Sources: URA Realis, PropNex Research, CBRE, EdgeProp Singapore
What the Market Isn't Telling You
Every sales gallery will walk you through the psf and the river view. What most won't walk you through is what you're actually buying into as a strata owner in a 366-unit mixed-use development after TOP in 2028. A scale that means real committee dynamics, real sinking-fund planning, and a management agent whose track record matters more than any showflat finish. That's Part 7, and it's the layer every other write-up on this launch skips. It takes having actually run an MCST to know what to look for. Most people covering this launch have only ever sold a unit in one. The short version: CDL's own-managed developments have a defensible track record, but a 366-unit strata with retail and residential mixed in is a different governance animal than a pure residential tower, and the AGM cadence and committee composition in year one will tell you more than the brochure ever will.
What Works
- Heritage-designated conservation zone — the low-rise, river-view environment structurally can't be built out
- Three MRT lines within a 10-minute walk (Clarke Quay, Fort Canning, Chinatown)
- 37%+ already sold at full price validates the product before you buy the adjusted quantum
- 2028 TOP gives a runway for a 7-to-10-year hold to mature
What to Weigh
- 366 units TOPping simultaneously means real resale competition the moment MOP-equivalent liquidity windows open
- Schools within 1km are solid, not ballot-elite — this isn't a schools-driven purchase
- 20% ABSD for a Singapore Citizen's second property is the single biggest hurdle to model first
- Short-hold flips (under 5 years) fight SSD and a crowded exit — see Part 6
If you'd rather talk through CBD-professional own-stay, investment fit, or an upgrade from a nearby resale unit directly, message James on WhatsApp with your situation and he'll respond same day.
Would You Rather
Union Square Residences at an adjusted quantum, or a resale unit at River Modern / Zyon Grand at a comparable psf? I'd take Union Square. The resale units get you into the corridor today, but you inherit someone else's renovation choices and a shorter runway to the next value re-rating. An adjusted-quantum entry at Union Square gets you the same corridor thesis with a 2028 TOP still ahead of it. New-build condition, and a full cycle of appreciation still to play out before the unit itself ages. The exception: if you need to move in within 12 months, the resale unit wins on timing alone.
What James Thinks You Should Do
Buy the adjusted quantum if you fit one of three profiles: a CBD professional who values a sub-10-minute commute to Raffles Place enough to pay for it, a CCR investor targeting the deep D1 expat rental pool who has already modelled ABSD and financing cost against the adjusted entry price, or an upgrader sitting on a River Modern, Zyon Grand, or Robertson Quay resale unit who can make a lateral move into new-build condition at a comparable quantum. Skip it, or wait, if you're a short-hold investor under five years. The SSD clock and 366 units TOPping together in 2028 reward a patient hold over a quick flip. The conservation-zone scarcity is real and the corridor comps confirm the pricing is fair, not generous. Buy carefully. Don't rush it.
In this corridor, Robertson Quay, Clarke Quay, the Havelock stretch, I keep meeting the same buyer: someone who bought into River Modern or Zyon Grand two or three years ago, has already banked the corridor's appreciation, and is now sitting on a unit with someone else's finishes and a renovation bill of their own coming due. They didn't buy wrong. They bought right, at the time. The question they're actually asking isn't "should I sell", it's whether trading up into a new-build reset makes sense at this stage of the corridor's cycle.
Union Square Residences is the answer for a specific version of that buyer: same conservation-zone thesis, same MRT access, but a full cycle of appreciation still ahead of it and zero inherited defects. The adjusted-quantum entry costs more per square foot than resale today. That's the price of the reset, not a reason to avoid it.
The question I ask isn't about the psf gap. It's whether you're solving for a genuine reset or just chasing the newest building on the block. If you're sitting on a River Modern, Zyon Grand, or Robertson Quay unit and weighing that trade, WhatsApp me at 91111173 and I'll run the actual numbers with you.
Why Now
CDL adjusted pricing on selected stacks after 37%+ of the project sold at full price. That's inventory management timed to a specific sales pace. Expect it to close once the remaining stacks move, the same way the first 37% did. The corridor itself has repriced upward since Union Square's own 2024 launch: River Modern and River Green both launched after Union Square and cleared at $3,128–$3,228 psf, above Union Square's own launch-day average. A buyer waiting for a deeper discount is betting against a corridor that has moved up twice since this project's own launch date. It hasn't moved down once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Union Square Residences worth buying at the adjusted price?+
For the right buyer, yes. CDL's adjusted pricing on selected stacks followed 37%+ of the project selling at full price. Standard inventory management from an experienced developer working through remaining stock. Every comparable Singapore River launch since 2025 has cleared at $3,000–$3,228 psf, so the corridor range is the fairer benchmark for an adjusted entry, Union Square's own launch day is only part of the picture. If you want the adjusted quantum run against your specific stack and budget, WhatsApp James your numbers and he'll tell you plainly whether the entry makes sense for you.
Why is CDL offering a discount on Union Square Residences? Is something wrong with the project?+
No indication of that. CDL sold over 37% of the project at full pricing before adjusting pricing on selected stacks. A standard developer inventory-management decision to drive velocity on remaining units. The address, build quality, MRT connectivity, and TOP timeline are unchanged.
How does Union Square Residences compare to other Singapore River launches?+
Every comparable launch on this corridor since 2025, River Green, Zyon Grand, River Modern. Cleared at $3,000–$3,228 psf. Union Square's own launch-day average was $3,200 psf in November 2024, with a record $3,828 psf transaction in February 2026, so benchmark an adjusted entry against that corridor range rather than against Union Square's own numbers alone.
Who is the best-fit buyer for Union Square Residences?+
CBD professionals wanting a short commute for own-stay, CCR investors targeting the deep D1 expat rental pool, and RCR upgraders from a nearby resale unit are the strongest fits. Short-hold investors under 5 years should think carefully given SSD rules and 366 units TOPping together in 2028. Not sure which profile you fall into? WhatsApp James your situation and he'll tell you straight, not just sell you the unit.
What schools and MRT lines serve Union Square Residences?+
River Valley Primary and St. Margaret's Primary sit within 1km. Solid options, though neither carries ballot-elite status. Transport is the stronger draw: Clarke Quay (NE5), Fort Canning (DT20), and Chinatown (DT19/NE4) MRT stations are all within a comfortable walk.
Primary, Union Square Buy Right Numbers
Want the full numbers run against your specific budget and hold period, ABSD position, financing cost at current SORA, and the net entry price after CDL's adjusted quantum? I'll run it with you directly, no pitch, just the working.
WhatsApp James — wa.me/6591111173- EdgeProp Singapore — CDL Sells 37% of Union Square Residences at $3,200 PSF Average, Nov 2024
- EdgeProp Singapore — Union Square Residences Achieves Record Price of $3,828 PSF, Feb 2026
- URA Realis — Private Residential Transaction Caveats
- PropNex Research, CBRE — Singapore River Corridor Launch Data, Q4 2025/Q1 2026
- URA — Singapore River Conservation Zone Planning Guidelines
- OneMap / URA Master Plan — Schools and Amenities within 1km, 20 Havelock Road
- LTA — Clarke Quay (NE5), Fort Canning (DT20), Chinatown (DT19/NE4) Station Data
- CDL Corporate Disclosures — Union Square Residences Unit Count and TOP Timeline
- SRX / EdgeProp — Comparable Corridor Launch Take-up Data (River Green, Zyon Grand, River Modern)
- mychoicehomez.com — GLS Tracker, https://www.mychoicehomez.com/gls-tracker
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Property investments involve risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Readers should seek independent advice from licensed professionals before making any property or financial decision. James Ong is a licensed real estate salesperson (CEA Reg No. R008385F) with PropNex Realty Pte Ltd and is not a licensed financial adviser.
James Ong | CEA Reg No. R008385F | PropNex Realty Pte Ltd
WhatsApp: 91111173 · wa.me/6591111173
Member discussion