Smith Street in Chinatown (Photo: SLA)
The government is seeking a master tenant for a row of 13 conserved shophouses at 11 to 37 Smith Street and an adjacent state land parcel in Chinatown. The aim is to broaden the offerings beyond the typical retail and dining options and, thereby, rejuvenate Chinatown, according to three government agencies - Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) – in a joint press release on Nov 30.
The rejuvenation project aims to inject vibrancy and drive greater footfall to Chinatown with community programmes and more diverse offerings such as creative lifestyle, retail and co-living/co-working concepts while preserving the area's cultural and architectural heritage.
The row of 13 conserved shophouses along Smith Street in Chinatown (Photo: SLA)
In the early days, Smith Street was known as hei yuen kai (Cantonese for Theatre Street), when its Chinese Opera performances attracted packed audiences. The rejuvenation project presents an opportunity to rekindle that vibrancy by launching regular community programmes at the adjacent pedestrian mall and introducing shops, restaurants and other active uses at the first storey of the shophouses.
Read also: Shophouse sales value up 62% q-o-q in 1Q2024: PropNex Research
Smith Street is also known for its culinary offerings. But it has the potential for renewal and innovation, with lifestyle offerings that could include gamified tours, arts and cultural galleries, workshops and studios.
The interior of the shophouse at 25 Smith Street (Photo: SLA)
The upper storeys of the shophouses could be used as serviced apartments, co-living and co-working spaces that not only cater to the growing demand for such uses but also allow users to immerse themselves in the precinct's cultural heritage, according to the release.
The bidders will be evaluated based on price (30%), capital expenditure (20%) and quality (50%), with emphasis on the proposed concepts that will achieve the desired objective.
The architectural features of some of the conserved shophouses along the row of 13 on Smith Street (Photo: SLA)
Proposals are to include clear sustainability goals in line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, such as infrastructure improvements, environmentally friendly practices in day-to-day business operations and curation of programmes to raise awareness on sustainability.
Proposals should demonstrate clear sustainability goals and outcomes in line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, such as infrastructure improvements, environmentally friendly practices in their day-to-day business operations, and programmes to raise sustainability awareness.
The tender will close in 12 weeks from Nov 30.