State properties reimagined as co-living, pop-up event venues and social impact hubs

/ EdgeProp Singapore |

July 26, 2024 10:05 AM SGT

Wong: As we continue to find new ways to provide alternative housing options for Singaporeans, we also see many opportunities to cultivate a strong inter-generational community within established neighbourhood. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)

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Over the past year, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has launched properties for tender with an increasingly diverse range of uses. These include experiential retail concepts, luxury brand private events, inter-generational co-living apartments and social impact hubs.

Carrie Wong, director of business planning and development at SLA, says the expansion of uses comes amid growing demand for space from a diverse range of public and private stakeholders and community groups. It also supports the government’s long-term social and urban planning initiatives.

“SLA has been proactively identifying social and real estate market trends and seeking opportunities where we can pivot some of our real estate assets to enhance their utilisation towards placemaking,” she adds.

Black and white bungalows like this, at 16 Kay Siang Road, are managed by the government. (Picture: SLA)

As the custodian of state land and properties, SLA manages about 2,600 state-owned properties and 11,000 hectares of state land. These properties include colonial-era black-and-white bungalows, heritage terrace houses, walk-up apartments like Chip Bee Gardens in Holland Village, shophouses, disused schools, former army camps like Tanglin Village on Dempsey Hill and government buildings such as Old Kallang Airport and the former Command House at Kheam Hock Road.

Black and white bungalows

SLA is best known for managing Singapore’s collection of about 600 colonial-era black-and-white bungalows spread across prime residential neighbourhoods and Good Class Bungalow areas. These are sought after by high-net-worth individuals, including senior expatriate corporate executives, diplomats and even ministers.

Last month, a two-storey black-and-white bungalow at 18 Ridley Park secured a two-year tenancy at a monthly rental rate of $30,054. The three-bedroom house has a gross floor area (GFA) of 4,887 sq ft but sits on a 60,278 sq ft plot.

A two-storey bungalow at 18 Ridley Park was leased at at a monthly rental rate of $30,054 last month. (Picture: SLA)

The tender closed for two other black-and-white bungalows at 16 Kay Siang Road and 11 Orange Grove Road. The leases are also for two years.

The tender for the property at Kay Siang Road closed on July 12 with two rental bids: one for $$22,717 per month and the other for $22,200 per month. The four-bedroom bungalow has a GFA of 4,800 sq ft and sits on a 49,127 sq ft plot.

The bids for a two-storey bungalow at 11 Orange Grove Road are also being evaluated. The four-bedroom detached house has a GFA of 8,030 sq ft and sits on a sprawling 65,811 sq ft plot. The property received four bids of $52,100, $50,000, $40,000 and $37,329.

Non-residential use of black-and-whites

Some black-and-white bungalows have been leased for non-residential purposes, including childcare centres, restaurants, lifestyle and fashion establishments and family offices.

Bungalows put up for tender for use as family offices have consistently attracted strong leasing demand, given the uniqueness of the asset and the privacy it affords, says Wong.

For instance, a two-storey bungalow at 5C/D Goodwood Hill closed on July 12 and drew a sole bid of $28,888 a month from the multi-family office Marqet Investment Management. The bungalow has an estimated GFA of 8,212 sq ft and sits on grounds stretching 65,405 sq ft. It will be leased on a 5+4-year term, which means a five-year lease with an option to renew for another four years. The tender for the property will be evaluated based on price and quality aspects and awarded in November.

A two-storey bungalow at 5C/D Goodwood Hill drew a sole bid of $28,8888 a month from the multi-family office Marqet Investment Management. (Picture: SLA)

SLA partners with other government agencies in some of the tenders. A recent example is the tender for a trio of black-and-white bungalows at 31, 31A and 33 Scotts Road, launched for tender on June 14 in collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board. The intention is to attract creative lifestyle uses such as experiential retail, F&B, wellness or beauty concepts.

The three single-storey bungalows have an estimated total GFA of 11,410 sq ft and sit on a 36,670 sq ft plot fronting Scotts Road. The properties carry a 5+4-year lease tenure. The tender for the bungalows will close on Aug 7 and is expected to be awarded in December.

SLA has also proactively approached upmarket lifestyle fashion and retail brands for placemaking efforts such as pop-up events and experiences. In May, BMW Group Asia, together with its dealer partners BMW Eurokars Auto and Performance Motors Limited, hosted a private soiree, “7 Senses,” to unveil its latest line of BMW cars at a black-and-white bungalow at 7 Adam Park.

Social and community uses

SLA says the number of social entities repurposing state properties for emerging social and community uses has increased by 50% since 2022.

For example, the former Elections Department building at 11 Prinsep Link will be a shared space for non-profit organisations and social enterprises. The three-storey building has been renamed The Foundry and is set up in partnership with the philanthropic organisation The Majurity Trust, Tote Board and the Singapore Government Partnerships Office.

SLA and National Arts Council jointly launched a Price-Quality tender for a row of five restored heritage properties at 52 to 56 Kampong Java Road. (Picture: SLA)

On July 20, SLA and the National Arts Council (NAC) jointly launched a tender for a row of five restored heritage properties at 52 to 56 Kampong Java Road in Little India. This initiative marks the first time a state property will be leased as an “arts sandbox” or experimental space for the arts.

Co-living

Some sites in SLA’s portfolio will eventually be slated for future development under the URA Master Plan. In the meantime, Wong says these properties can be leased for adaptive reuse, such as co-living.

Seven sites have been launched for tender or awarded for use as co-living spaces. They include Coliwoo Keppel at 1557 Keppel Road, Habyt Cantonment (previously known as Hmlet Cantonment), the former Bukit Timah Fire Station, a row of 18 two-storey buildings at 79-95 Hindoo Road leased to co-living operator Cove and Eco-Energy and 26 Evans Road, which will be transformed into an upmarket co-living space by Cover Projects.

Two other state properties were recently put up for tender for co-living use. One is a row of nine 2-storey shophouses at 15-31 Hindoo Road and the other is a senior co-living concept at 98 Henderson Road. The tender for 15-31 Hindoo Road is expected to be awarded at the end of this month, while the tender for 98 Henderson Road will close on Aug 7.

The site at 98 Henderson Road is set to draw in senior co-living concepts. (Picture: SLA)

“As we continue to find new ways to provide alternative housing options for Singaporeans, we also see many opportunities to cultivate a strong inter-generational community within established neighbourhoods,” says Wong.

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