The school's 490 Thomson Road campus has been zoned for residential use since 2014. With the move confirmed for 2030, a prime Upper Thomson site is quietly entering the pipeline.
St Joseph's Institution International will relocate to a new campus at 1033 Upper Serangoon Road in Hougang in 2030, ending nearly two decades at its current home at 490 Thomson Road. The school opened at Thomson in 2007 and has confirmed it is working closely with the relevant authorities to complete the move. For most people, this reads as a school story. For property buyers, it's something else entirely.
The URA has confirmed that SJI International's tenancy at the Thomson site expires in early 2030, and — critically — the land has been zoned for residential use since the 2014 Master Plan. That's more than a decade of planning intent already locked in. The type of housing has yet to be determined, but the direction of travel is clear: when the school leaves, housing comes.
The Thomson Road site sits in what is arguably one of Singapore's most liveable and consistently in-demand corridors. Upper Thomson has evolved significantly over the past decade — the Thomson-East Coast Line brought the area closer to the city, new F&B clusters have formed along Upper Thomson Road, and the surrounding landed and condo market has been quietly resilient. A new residential development here in 2030 or beyond will land into a neighbourhood that buyers already want to be in.
When an established institution vacates a large, well-located site, it creates a meaningful land release in an area where such opportunities are rare. The Thomson Road site is not some peripheral plot — it's a sizeable campus in District 11, surrounded by established private housing, good amenities and MRT access. When URA eventually releases the site for development, expect strong interest from developers and firm pricing at launch.
This is also a reminder of how Singapore's land use planning works. The 2014 Master Plan zoning has been sitting on the books quietly for 12 years. Buyers who pay attention to these signals — school leases expiring, sites rezoned, white sites activated — often position themselves ahead of the mainstream market. By the time the GLS tender is announced and the news goes mainstream, the narrative is already priced in.
A confirmed residential site on Thomson Road in 2030 doesn't dampen demand for the area today — if anything, it reinforces it. New supply in an established precinct typically validates the location rather than undermines it. Buyers who buy resale in the area now are buying ahead of a confirmed future development cycle, with the optionality to exit at a premium once the new launch enters the market in the early 2030s.
The Hougang relocation story is interesting too, but for different reasons. The new SJI International campus at 1033 Upper Serangoon Road — currently occupied by Anderson Serangoon Junior College until December 2027 — is near the junction of Lim Ah Pin Road, Florence Road and Hougang Avenue 2. School catchment remains one of the most consistent drivers of residential demand in Singapore. Where a good international school lands, buyers follow.
The Thomson Road site won't hit the market tomorrow — but the planning intent has been there since 2014, and the confirmed 2030 move date puts a real timeline on it. I'd be watching this corridor closely, both for the Upper Thomson resale opportunity now and for the new launch cycle when URA eventually activates the site. If you hold assets near Thomson Road or are considering buying in the area, this is a development worth factoring into your horizon. Want to talk through what it means for your specific situation? Drop me a message.
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