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Published January 5, 2007

CityDev's One Shenton set to go for up to $2,500 psf

Agents ask buyers for blank cheques to get choice units

By UMA SHANKARI

(SINGAPORE) Apartments in City Developments' newest condominium, One Shenton, are likely to go for between $1,500-$2,500 per square foot (psf) during its expected soft launch today, according to agents marketing the project.

Agents from Knight Frank and ERA are also asking interested parties for blank cheques and authorisation letters to help buyers secure choice units in the much-anticipated 99-year leasehold development on Shenton Way, in the heart of the financial district.

The cheques are to be made out to a United Overseas Bank account, which the agents say is under CityDev's name.

Apartment prices in the 341-unit development are expected to be in the $1,500-$2,500 psf range, at least for starters. Prices could go up as the days pass as with the nearby Marina Bay Residences (MBR), where prices were raised each subsequent day during the soft launch, one agent says.

While it is widely expected that CityDev will start selling the project today, some agents believe that the soft launch could start tomorrow instead, with today reserved for investors looking to pick up whole floors.

It is also not clear if CityDev will be releasing all units in the project over this coming weekend, although it might do so if buyer interest is strong, an agent from ERA says.

For now, agents are collecting cheques and authorisation letters so that they can stand in line - with some promising to do so overnight if need be - in lieu of potential buyers. Once apartments are offered to them, the agents will then call their clients, who can then make a decision on whether to go ahead with the purchase, allowing the agents to seal the deal on the spot.

One Shenton consists of two towers - one 50-storey and the other 42. There will be a mix of studio, and two, three and four-bedroom apartments, as well as 'sky suites' and 'sky villas'. Sizes range from 520 to 9,600 square feet. The car park is on the first seven storeys; residential units begin from the eight floor.

CityDev is expected to benefit from high prices seen in the recent launch of MBR, where a unit fetched a record $3,400 psf. However, units at One Shenton are expected to be priced below those at MBR, agents say.