The Brownstone EC: Canberra's 638-Unit Development at a Crossroads
Updated 2026-10-24
The Brownstone is a 638-unit executive condominium on Canberra Drive, completed in 2017 by City Developments and TID. With full privatisation approaching in 2027 and the North-South Corridor set to cut commute times, the development sits at a turning point for both buyers and sellers.
What is The Brownstone EC?
The Brownstone is a 99-year leasehold executive condominium at 164 Canberra Drive in Sembawang, District 27. It comprises 638 units across eight blocks of 10 to 12 storeys, with unit types ranging from two to five bedrooms. The development was completed in 2017 by Canvey Developments, a joint venture between City Developments Limited (CDL) and TID Pte Ltd.
Facilities include a 50-metre lap pool, a 30-metre lap pool, tennis court, basketball half court, gymnasium with steam rooms, and landscaped gardens with a reflexology path and spa pool. The development reached its five-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) in 2022, meaning units can now be resold to Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Full privatisation, which opens sales to foreigners and removes remaining EC restrictions, is expected in 2027, ten years from the Temporary Occupation Permit.
Is The Brownstone for sale, and what do units cost?
There are currently 20 listings for The Brownstone on Hombble, with an average asking price of S$1,563,244. The average unit size across listings is 999 sqft, working out to roughly S$1,569 per square foot. Of the 20 listings, 19 are classified as executive condominium units, with one listed under the condominium category.
Recent resale transactions in 2026 have ranged from about S$1,476 to S$1,612 per square foot, depending on unit size and floor level. With full privatisation a year away, pricing is something both buyers and sellers will want to watch closely, as the removal of ownership restrictions has historically widened the buyer pool for mature ECs.
Living at The Brownstone: transport, food and daily life
The development is roughly 200 metres from Canberra MRT station on the North-South Line, placing Orchard in about 30 minutes by train. The North-South Corridor (NSC), Singapore's first integrated transport corridor with dedicated bus lanes and cycling routes, is expected to open by 2026. The 21.5-kilometre expressway links Sembawang and Canberra directly to the city centre and is projected to shave up to 30 minutes off peak-hour driving times.
Canberra Plaza, a neighbourhood centre connected to Canberra MRT, opened in late 2020 and houses an NTUC FairPrice supermarket, a McDonald's, Starbucks, Guardian pharmacy, and a 24-hour 7-Eleven. Sembawang Shopping Centre and Sun Plaza in Sembawang are also within a short drive. For hawker food and recreation, Bukit Canberra, the integrated sports and community hub near Sembawang MRT, offers a 44-stall hawker centre, a polyclinic, the largest ActiveSG gym in Singapore at 1,500 square metres, and a full swimming complex with sheltered pools.
Schools near Canberra Drive
Families with primary-age children have Wellington Primary School and Sembawang Primary School within the one-kilometre priority enrolment radius. Within two kilometres, the options expand to include Canberra Primary School and Endeavour Primary School, as well as Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School, Chongfu School and Northoaks Primary School.
For secondary education, Canberra Secondary School on Sembawang Drive and Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School are both nearby, with Sembawang Secondary School also within the immediate area. Several pre-schools and enrichment centres operate in and around Canberra Plaza and the neighbouring HDB blocks.
What is the outlook for Canberra and Sembawang?
Canberra is one of the more actively developing districts in Singapore's north. Sembawang North, a 53-hectare housing area, will deliver close to 10,000 new homes when fully built out, comprising roughly 8,000 BTO flats and 2,000 private units. A new EC site near Canberra MRT is also in the pipeline, the first since Provence Residence launched in 2021.
Longer term, the URA Draft Master Plan 2025 confirms that the Sembawang Shipyard site will be progressively transformed into a mixed-use waterfront district after the shipyard relocates from 2028. This is a large-scale project that will reshape the northern coastline over the coming decades. For The Brownstone specifically, the combination of full privatisation in 2027, improved road connectivity from the North-South Corridor, and the growing density of amenities in Canberra positions the development within a neighbourhood that is still maturing rather than standing still.