Tiong Bahru Teochew Kueh

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The Straits Times : High-end childcare centre in low-rent area

The Straits Times

Pearl Lee

21st May 2013 

 

Location is very convenient for parents working in CBD: Firm

 

The 1930s bungalow where train drivers would spend the night before a morning shift is now being converted to a high-end childcare centre. The new Modern Montessori International pre-school will open in July and include facilities such as a swimming pool and an eco-garden. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

 

IT SITS opposite a vacant housing estate, just metres from two blocks of rental flats for lower-income households.

Yet the site has been chosen to house a new high-end childcare centre, complete with a swimming pool.

The 1930s bungalow on Spooner Road and the area that surrounds it were part of the Malaysian railway land that was handed to Singapore in July 2011.

Train drivers used to stay the night in the 1,014 sq m building before beginning their morning shift.

Now, it will be put to a very different use after pre-school operator Modern Montessori International entered a successful bid to rent it from the Singapore Land Authority.

The firm's new boutique childcare centre - its fourth so far - will open in July and include facilities such as a swimming pool and an eco-garden.

Parents who want to enrol their child will pay $1,200 to $1,500 a month.

But the new high-end facility will contrast starkly with its surroundings, with the nearby blocks either catering for lower-income residents or vacated for future developments.

Opposite the pre-school is a Housing Board estate that has been left vacant for years as the area - including Spooner Road - is earmarked for future residential use.

While some may question the decision to open a boutique childcare centre in the neighbourhood, Modern Montessori International's chief executive T. Chandroo said he was attracted to Spooner Road as it is near the Central Business District, and the high-end residential enclave of Sentosa Cove.

Calling it a strategic location, he said: "It is extremely convenient for parents who drop off their children at our centre on their way to work in the Central Business District."

The Spooner Road area was once part of a railway yard owned by Malaysian operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu. The two blocks, which used to house staff, were converted to rental units after they were handed over to Singapore.

Interested parties were then invited to bid to rent the bungalow for either childcare or eldercare uses. Dr Chandroo said that the site had other advantages: "Tiong Bahru and Kay Siang Road are located to the north-east from our centre.

"Moving along to the south- west, we are able to extend our services to residents from the Harbourfront area."

leepearl@sph.com.sg

The Straits Times : Nearby flats 'a slice of Singapore's residential history'

The Straits Times
Pearl Lee
21st May 2013

These low-rise blocks in Kampong Silat, opposite the site of the new childcare centre, are the island's second oldest surviving public housing estate. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

THEY may look unassuming but the 13 low-rise blocks that sit opposite the site of the new childcare centre represent a slice of history.

Kampong Silat is the island's second oldest surviving public housing estate.

It was built by the Singapore Improvement Trust - the Housing Board's predecessor - between 1949 and 1952. This makes it younger only than the Tiong Bahru estate, which was built in 1937 and 1938. All of its residents have moved out, after the site was selected for the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme in February 2007.

The now-vacant area is earmarked for future residential development.

Dr Yeo Kang Shua, honorary secretary of the Singapore Heritage Society, said the area shows a piece of Singapore's residential history.

He added that people should not assume that the flats there will be torn down just because they have been earmarked for future residential use.

But Dr Yeo, who is also an assistant professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, said: "If we have to destroy the building, then I will opt to at least preserve the building through documentation, such as through measured drawings and oral history."

PEARL LEE

The Sunday Times : Conserve facade, owners of pre-war units told

The Sunday Times
By Melody Zaccheus
12th May 2013

 

Some new residents living in conservation flats in Tiong Bahru who have had work done to the exterior of their flats may find themselves in a bind.

This, after the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) stepped up efforts to ensure renovation guidelines for the exterior of the 20 pre-war conservation flats and some shophouses are adhered to.

Notices were posted across the estate earlier this year informing and reminding both old and new residents to seek permission from the URA before works on the facade of their units are carried out.

Some of the guidelines, for instance, do not allow new awnings and planter racks to be added.

Letters have been issued to residents for flouting the guidelines.

The ramped-up effort comes a decade after the flats were awarded conservation status for their "rich history, unique architecture and familiar streetscapes" in 2003.

Residents said the delay in enforcing a standard look has resulted in some confusion.

Retiree Chan Chi Tin, 65, said it will be tricky to settle on a standard appearance for the blocks as older residents made alterations before the flats were even conserved.

Financial analyst Ben Gan, 29, who moved into the estate five months ago added that the approval process for his conservation flat meant that renovation took six months instead of three.

"It's a tricky balance for the agency. It needs to work towards a uniform look to preserve these one-of-a-kind pre-war flats while managing the expectations of owners," he said.

Built in the 1930s by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), the HDB's predecessor, these Art Deco-style flats make up Singapore's first public housing estate.

They come with separate rear service blocks, internal air-wells and signature spiral staircases.

These blocks are located in Tiong Poh Road, Seng Poh Road, Chay Yan Street, Eng Watt Street, Eng Hoon Street, Guan Chuan Street and Tiong Bahru Road.

A URA spokesman explained that efforts were ramped up "as more people move in and out of the estate".

"We thought that it was timely to create more awareness and remind owners about our conservation guidelines for the Tiong Bahru conserved blocks," she said.

Architect and art and design educator Tia Boon Sim, who has been sketching the neighbourhood since 2010, agreed.

The course manager at Temasek Polytechnic's School Of Design said she has noticed a 20 per cent rise in the number of units flouting guidelines, especially with more yuppies and young couples flocking to rent and buy units in the upmarket enclave.

According to the URA, the external facade and all key architectural elements of the flats must be retained and restored but owners have the flexibility to adapt the interiors to suit their needs.

Its spokesman added that guidelines are highlighted to home owners through several means, including information in HDB home renovation permits.

The agency also conducts periodic inspections of the conserved buildings and takes a case-by-case approach for home owners who flout the rules.

Owners who carried out renovation works before the blocks were gazetted for conservation can retain them for now, said the URA's spokesman. However, they are required to comply with the prevailing guidelines the next time their homes are renovated.

But some residents argued that more room should be given to customise the appearance of these flats, which come with a hefty price tag of about $1 million.

"Some of the modifications beautify the old buildings," said retiree Tony Tan, 65, who has lived in Tiong Bahru for 30 years.

While owners are allowed to replace the original mild steel- framed glazed casement windows on the facade of their homes, their size and proportions must remain the same. Vents must also be retained though owners can choose to seal them on the interior with plasterboard, glass or perspex.

Save for some corner flats, air-conditioning units are not allowed at the front of these blocks.

Graphic designer Alice Farmer, 33, who has lived in Tiong Bahru for two years, said she has kept renovations to a minimum. "Part of the appeal of these flats is that it's a heritage site. We should therefore continue to preserve the character of the estate."

These windows on the highest storey do not meet guidelines, says the URA. Some residents felt that awnings (below) and planters add colour to the estate. -- ST PHOTOS: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

The Business Times : KepLand's top bid sets new high for housing land

The Business Times

Kalpana Rashiwala

Published April 19, 2013
 

It bids $1,162.86 psf ppr for 99-year private housing site in Kim Tian Road

[SINGAPORE] A new high has been set for 99-year private housing land offered at a state tender.

 
The $1,162.86 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr) top bid from Keppel Land unit Harvestland Development for a plum site in Kim Tian Road was above expectations.
 
It also surpassed the previous high of $1,107.80 psf ppr that Far East Organization paid last August for a small plot next to Lutheran Towers along Farrer Road.
 
KepLand topped yesterday's tender for the plot near Tiong Bahru MRT Station and Tiong Bahru Plaza with a $550.28 million bid. This was 7.2 per cent more than the $513.33 million or $1,084.78 psf ppr from a Far East group-Sekisui partnership. The third highest bid, from a City Developments-led consortium, was $1,016.67 psf ppr. There were 11 bids in all.
 
Noting that the top three bids were above $1,000 psf ppr, SLP International executive director Nicholas Mak said that "some developers are still very bullish on the middle-high-end residential market segment, especially if there is limited new supply in that location".
 
KepLand's bid was 3.86 times what MCL Land paid for the previous 99-year private housing site sold by the state in the vicinity a decade ago - in March 2003. MCL paid $301 psf ppr for its site, which it has since developed into the MeraPrime condo. That tender had drawn 12 bids.
 
For the Kim Tian plot, property consultants had predicted bids of about $850-950 psf ppr when it was launched in late-February by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
 
CBRE associate director Desmond Sim notes that the site's proximity to the Tiong Bahru MRT station and established amenities outweighed the site's building restrictions.
 
These include maximum heights of 25, 30 and 40 storeys for different sections of the site and a maximum of 500 homes due to traffic issues in the locality. There is also a requirement for a basement carpark, which is more costly compared with a multi-storey carpark.
 
Market watchers' estimates of KepLand's breakeven cost range from $1,660 psf to $1,800 psf, with some suggesting that the group could be looking at an average selling price of around $2,000 psf.
 
They see KepLand taking the cue from Echelon, located near Redhill MRT Station, one stop away. Echelon's developer, City Developments, sold units at median prices of $1,836 psf and $1,832 psf in March and February respectively, according to URA data.
 
Meanwhile, the 500 homes stipulated for the Kim Tian project implies an average unit size of around 946 sq ft. Assuming a price of $2,000 psf, the average unit in the development would be priced around $1.9 million. This would be on the high side for a condo outside the Core Central Region that is targeted at the HDB upgrader market.
 
Still, Mr Sim argues that KepLand might be right in being optimistic, given the relatively high prices for HDB resale flats in the vicinity.
 
According to PropNex Realty CEO Mohamed Ismail, sellers of five-room HDB flats on high floors in the Kim Tian location are asking for well above $900,000. "For executive flats at Queenstown, two MRT stops away, sellers are asking for $1 million," he added.
 
KepLand president (Singapore) Tan Swee Yiow said: "We are confident that we will see positive demand from homeowners who aspire to own a top quality home in the CBD's fringe. . . Tiong Bahru is an established residential estate which is well-connected by public transportation and well-served by a wide range of facilities and amenities."
 
The Kim Tian site, in addition to being a stone's throw away from Tiong Bahru MRT Station on the East-West Line, will be 500 metres from the planned Havelock Station on the Thomson Line.
 
KepLand envisages a project with about 500 homes ranging from 500 sq ft to 1,350 sq ft in one to four-bedroom configurations.
 
"A wide range of shopping, dining and leisure amenities are a stone's throw away at Tiong Bahru Plaza, Tiong Bahru Food Centre, Tiong Bahru Conservation Area and Great World City," the group said.
 
Other bidders at yesterday's tender included CapitaLand unit Areca Investment which offered $993.42 psf ppr. Placing an identical bid was a tie-up between UOL Venture Investments and Kheng Leong Co.
 
Low Keng Huat partnered Sun Venture Homes for a $953.06 psf ppr bid. Wing Tai and Metro teamed up to bid $944.37 psf ppr. Frasers Centrepoint unit FCL Place bid $930 psf ppr.
 
Placing the lowest bid was Asset Legend, at $608.21 psf ppr.

 

The Straits Times : Record bid of $550m for plum Tiong Bahru housing site

The Straits Times
By Melissa Tan
19th April 2013

AN ALL-IN bidding battle among 11 developers for a plum plot in Tiong Bahru ended up smashing price records for a residential site.

The land in Kim Tian Road drew a top bid of $550.28 million, or $1,163 per sq ft (psf) per plot ratio (ppr), from Keppel Land's Harvestland Development.

That is the highest price per square foot ever tendered for a purely residential site in the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. It beat the old record set last August when Far East Organization offered $1,108 psf ppr, or $45.8 million, for a small Farrer Road site.

It also trumped analysts' predictions that the top bid would not exceed $920 psf ppr with no more than 10 bidders in the fray.

At over half a billion dollars, the total amount is also among the largest sums ever bid for a GLS residential site.

The next two bids also went through the roof - a Far East Organization-led consortium offered $1,085 psf ppr, or $513.3 million, while a City Developments-led group put up $1,017 psf ppr, or $481.1 million.

While experts were surprised at the sheer size of the bids, they noted that developers are fighting tooth and nail to get well-located sites near MRT stations and to boost their land banks.

The fact that three of the 11 tenders were above the $1,000 psf ppr mark "indicates that some developers are still very bullish on the middle to high-end residential market segment", said SLP International research head Nicholas Mak.

The bullish top bid for the 99-year leasehold site comes despite government efforts to reduce land prices, including offering more sites for tender and having tenders for multiple sites close on the same day.

The plot is 118,302 sq ft with a maximum gross floor area of 473,214 sq ft. The number of homes is capped at 500, due to traffic considerations.

Analysts noted that Tiong Bahru, a city-fringe heritage estate with art deco-style houses, has been revitalised in recent years by hip eateries and boutique retail outlets. It is also very near Orchard Road and the Central Business District.

DWG senior manager Lee Sze Teck said the developer could tap pent-up demand in Tiong Bahru considering that the last major project launch there was The Regency At Tiong Bahru, a freehold 158-unit condominium, in 2006.

There has also been a limited supply of new residential plots.

CBRE Research associate director Desmond Sim noted that GLS sites in Tiong Bahru have been few and far between.

The most recent one sold in March 2003 and was developed into the Meraprime condo.

Keppel Land said it plans to develop the Kim Tian Road site into about 500 homes, ranging from 500 sq ft to 1,350 sq ft in one- to four-bedroom configurations.

It will be its first project in Tiong Bahru, said Keppel Land's president for Singapore, Mr Tan Swee Yiow, in a statement.

Mr Mak said Keppel Land is expected to incur higher than usual building costs due to site regulations and restrictions. These include varying maximum building heights. Some buildings will be capped at six storeys, some at 25, some at 30 and some at 40.

Mr Mak estimates the break-even cost at $1,740 to $1,800 psf while DWG's Mr Lee puts it at between $1,500 and $1,550 psf with sale prices at $1,800 to $1,850 psf.

melissat@sph.com.sg