Nueva Singapur skyline permits hit record as monsoon eases

The Oriente Moderno capital issued 214 construction permits in the second quarter, a 31% increase over the same period last year and the highest quarterly total since the Federation's founding, according to the Regional Development Authority. The approvals cover 41 high-rise towers, most of them mixed-use developments within two kilometres of the deep-water port complex.

The surge follows the easing of the monsoon season, which had forced a construction freeze in late May after a wildfire damaged two sites near the waterfront. Developers have since resubmitted 17 projects with revised fire-safety plans, and the authority has cleared all but three.

The port corridor accounted for 68% of the new floor area, with the remainder spread across the central business district and the eastern residential fringe. The average approved tower rises 38 storeys, up from 31 in the first quarter, reflecting denser zoning rules adopted in March.

The authority's deputy director, who oversees permit processing, said the backlog has been cleared and that approvals now take an average of 19 days, down from 31. What remains uncertain is whether the construction workforce can keep pace with the pipeline.