Union Square Condo Review: Truly central location at Clarke Quay

Condos located in the city centre of Singapore often generate lots of buzz, and the same is true of upcoming 99-year leasehold development Union Square Residences.

The luxury mixed-use development, the fruit of well-known developer City Developments Limited (CDL), occupies a prime District 1 location at 20 Havelock Road, at the site of the former Central Square, in the heart of Clarke Quay.

Launched on 9 November 2024, Union Square Residences is expected to receive its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) in 2028.

The development will consist of a single 40-storey tower housing 366 luxury apartment units, as well as a commercial space on the first two floors. It will be linked to a 20-storey office tower called Union Square Central, which will also contain shops and eateries.

Union Square Residences Review (Summary Table)

*Information from 99.co, PropertyGuru, and other property listing websites is accurate as of time of writing.

Union Square Residences Price

At its launch on 9 November 2014, 20% of the condo units at Union Square Residences were sold at an average psf price of $3,200 psf.

Units were put up for sale at a starting price of $1.38 million or $2,981 psf for a one-bedroom apartment.

Two bedroom apartments commanded a starting price of about $2 million or $2,854 psf. The starting price for 3-bedroom apartments was $2.82 million ($2,848 psf). For 4-bedroom premium units, it was $4.62 million ($3,043 psf). The most expensive sky suite units were priced at $9.29 million or $3,751 psf.

These are obviously premium prices. This is to be expected given the location, which is really as central as you can get in Singapore.

Let’s compare these prices to those of a similar condo, 99-year leasehold luxury condo development The Landmark, which is located on Chin Swee Road an eight-minute walk from Chinatown MRT station, and a 10-minute walk from Union Square Residences.

The Landmark is scheduled to receive its TOP in March 2025, and units are currently being put up for subsale on PropertyGuru. 2-bedroom The Landmark units are being sold for $1,638,888 to $2,136,000, or a psf price of $2,402.39 psf to $2,918.99 psf—very similar to Union Square Residence’s prices.

Units at The Landmark were sold at an average price of $2,250 psf at the development’s launch in November 2020, indicating that owners have already enjoyed decent capital gains over the past four years.

Union Square Residences Site Plan

You can find the Union Square Residences site plan here.

The site plan enables you to see the layout of the development’s shared amenities, which include multiple swimming pools, steam rooms, a sky gym, a yoga studio and a co-working studio.

Union Square Residences Location

Union Square Residences’s location is as prime as it gets! If you work in the CBD or, like me, fantasise about living in an ultra central location, Union Square Residences’s address at 20 Havelock Road sounds like a dream come true.

Connectivity, as one would expect, is excellent, with Clarke Quay and Chinatown MRT stations both a 7-minute walk away, and Raffles Place MRT station a 16-minute walk away. Residents working in the CBD will be able to walk to the office easily.

The development is also located a short walking distance from the Singapore River and nightlife hotspots Clarke Quay and Boat Quay, as well as cultural institutions the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Victoria Concert Hall. Chinatown, with its popular eateries and landmarks like the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and the Sri Mariamman Temple, are also located within easy walking distance.

This just scratches the surface of the wealth of food, entertainment and shopping options located near Union Square Residences. That’s the magic of enjoying a location that is really and truly in the heart of Singapore’s city centre.

Union Square Residences Floor Plan

You can find the Union Square Residences floor plans here.

1-Bedroom

1-bedroom units at Union Square Residences measure 43 sqm (463 sqft). The front entrance opens into the kitchen, which then leads to the living room and dining room. To be fair, this is a common one-bedroom layout you’ll see in many condos, but I personally don’t like it--my complaint is that there are no windows opening into the kitchen, so it can be a little dark compared to the other parts of the apartment, and there is no space at the entrance for things like shoes and umbrellas. There are also 1-bedroom + study units measuring 47 sqm (506 sqft), with the kitchen at the entrance and the study accessible via the kitchen.

2-Bedroom

The 2-bedroom units measure 65 sqm (700 sqft) to 68 sqm (732 sqft), and there are also 2-bedroom + study units that measure 69 sqm (743 sqft). With the exception of the units with a study, all the units open into the kitchen. Again, my concern is that the kitchen at the entrance is too dark as there are no windows and there is no room for a proper entryway. There is one single 2-bedroom layout that does include a window looking out onto the air con ledge, offering the kitchen a minimum of direct natural light.

3-Bedroom

The 3-bedroom units measure 92 sqm (990 sqft), while 3-bedroom premium units measure 99 sqm (1,066 sqft). Both come with a wet and dry kitchen, which always makes an apartment feel more luxurious in my opinion. The premium units also come with a storeroom and an extra WC, accessible from the yard attached to the kitchen.

4-Bedroom

The 4-bedroom premium units measure 141 sqm (1,518 sqft). The master bedroom and two of the bedrooms are lined up in a row, and there is a junior master bedroom that enjoys more privacy on the other side of the apartment, separated by the living room. The master bedroom also has a walk-in wardrobe for fashionistas. What is more, the unit is served by a private lift lobby, which to me is the ultimate sign of luxury.

Union Square Residences Rent Price

Union Square Residences will only receive its TOP in 2028, so none of the units can be rented out yet.

So let’s have a look at nearby rents to get an idea of the future rent prices Union Square Residences might command.

At High Street Centre, located on North Bridge Road, a five-minute walk from Clarke Quay MRT station, 2-bedroom units measuring 1,120 to 1,130 sqft (a bit bigger than the 2-room units at Union Square Residences) are being put up for rent on PropertyGuru for $7,000 to $7,800 a month.

The rents sound high, but mapped onto the prices of similar Union Square Residences units, they are not that great, indicating that this might be not be the ideal rental property.

Union Square Residences Review

My favourite thing about Union Square Residences is its incredibly central location, perfect for those who work and play in the city centre.

It also has a decent and interesting mix of amenities, considering the property consists of only one block,. These include a sky gym and co-working studio. The latter is particularly attractive given the increasing popularity of work-from-home or hybrid work arrangements.

In addition, while it might not be the greatest rental property ever, condo units in the city core tend to be a good bet for capital appreciation in the long run.