THE escape of terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari from the Whitley Road Detention Centre has thrown the spotlight on the quiet, high-end residential area.

Previously, many people had no idea that the relatively upmarket area with many landed homes boasted a detention centre in its midst.

Still, this discovery is not expected to dent the values of properties in the area's private estates, though interest levels could dip a bit, said a property consultant.

'Some people are just superstitious and they don't want to live near a prison,' he said.

Currently, the existing residential pockets are found at the two ends of Whitley Road, with quite a few apartment blocks on the Thomson Road side.

On the Merryn Road side, there are houses and a few condominiums such as The Trevose and Trevose Park.

Black and white bungalows, whose monthly rentals range from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands, can also be found around the area. Quite a few large and exclusive units dot the peaceful, tree-lined stretch along Mount Pleasant Road.

For people who love greenery and space, there are few places like Whitley, property consultants said.

'The area is attractive because it is only a short drive to Orchard Road and there is easy access to the rest of the island via the Pan- Island Expressway (PIE),' said CBRE Research's executive director, Mr Li Hiaw Ho.

Apartments in the Whitley Road residential areas were sold at $900 per sq ft (psf) to $1,300 psf in the second half of last year, said CBRE Research. At The Trevose, there were two deals in February: one for $1 million or $1,050 psf and the other for $1.5 million or $1,142 psf, based on caveats lodged.

Freehold detached houses in the area were sold for between $6 million and $11 million each. Semi-detached houses went for around $4 million each over the same period.

The location also offers the cheaper option of 99-year leasehold landed homes, which can cost $2 million to $5 million.

A check with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) shows that the area is zoned mainly for residential use. The URA says there are currently no specific detailed plans for the area.

Still, a section of the Whitley Road stretch that flanks the PIE remains largely undeveloped and might be reserved for future development, said CBRE Research.

» Posh estates

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