Pinetree back with lower en bloc asking price

PINETREE Condominium, which was put up for collective sale in September 2007, has been relaunched at a lower indicative price of about $1,700 per square feet per plot ratio (psf ppr). This is about 20 per cent lower than the previous indicative price of $2,100 psf ppr seven months ago. The indicative asking price now is $128 million.

The property is being marketed by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). JLL associate director (investments) David Batchelor said: ‘Market conditions have changed.’ But on the residential collective sales market, he added: ‘I believe there is still interest but the market is more cautious.’

The 41,361 sq ft site at Balmoral Park has a 1.6 plot ratio. JLL said the site has the potential to be redeveloped into a residential development with a gross floor area (GFA) of up to 66,178 sq ft, subject to approval. Mr Batchelor said that currently, Pinetree Condominium is built up to a plot ratio of about 1.816 and added that there is no development charge payable.

The potential developer of the Pinetree site also has the opportunity to combine seven adjoining landed properties to form a total potential land area of 81,303 sq ft, yielding a combined GFA of 130,084 sq ft. This combined total will allow a developer to have a project with 60 to 80 apartment units ranging from 1,500 sq ft to 2,000 sq ft.

Mr Batchelor said the seven landed properties have a total indicative price of about $62 million, bringing the total land price to about $190 million. There is also a development charge of $46 million to $47 million for the landed housing properties.

In March 2006, Pinetree was on the market with an indicative price of around $59 million, or $888 psf ppr.