SLA puts 5.7 ha Phoenix Park site with over 30 buildings up for master tenancy
New permitted uses for the Tanglin Road cluster include art galleries, co-working and co-living spaces; tender closes on Nov 12
[SINGAPORE] A sprawling 5.7-hectare (ha) site in Tanglin Road that was once the home of British intelligence services – and, later, the Internal Security Department (ISD) of Singapore – is up for tender to a new master tenant. This is part of plans to rejuvenate the historically significant site in an exclusive, leafy embassy enclave.
The cluster of more than 30 buildings, which real estate player LHN has been leasing since 2008, can now have new uses such as art galleries and spaces for co-working and co-living, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said on its social media platforms on Thursday (Sep 4).
“These expanded offerings will complement existing uses, such as commercial schools, offices and food and beverage establishments, with purposeful place-making efforts, which will enhance the overall visitor experience and encourage more to partake and explore in the historic enclave,” it added.
In response to queries from The Business Times, LHN said its master tenancy will conclude on Dec 31, 2025.
Located at 300 to 320 Tanglin Road, the site comprises two three-storey buildings, two two-storey buildings and 29 single-storey buildings, the tender documents showed.
At 5.7 ha, the land parcel is equivalent to nearly eight football pitches. It spans an estimated gross floor area (GFA) of 11,086.8 square metres, with an initial tenancy term of five years that is renewable for another four.
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Based on the tender documents, the master tenant will have a rent-free period of five months from the start of the tenancy.
Permitted uses include offices and co-working spaces, student hostels, art galleries and commercial schools – except for childcare, kindergarten and foreign system schools.
Any F&B use is capped at a GFA of 602.2 sq m. Serviced apartment use is also allowed, subject to a GFA cap of 2,217.4 sq m.
“LHN told BT that most of its remaining tenants are expected to vacate by Dec 31 this year, when its master tenancy ends. It said that it is assessing whether to proceed with a retender.”
Under LHN’s tenancy, the buildings were leased to several restaurants and companies as office spaces, as well as to Avondale Grammar School, an Australian international school which closed in 2017.
The rents for units between 200 and 16,580 sq ft ranged from S$3.50 to S$6.30 per square foot, LHN’s website showed.
The tender evaluation will give 40 per cent weightage to the bid price, and 60 per cent to the concept quality.
Historic location
The cluster of buildings, commonly known as Phoenix Park, its former name, was built in 1949. The site formerly housed the headquarters of the British Far East Command and the British High Commission.
Also in the compound was the Singapore Special Branch – the predecessor of ISD – formed by the British colonial government as the domestic intelligence agency.
It was in the Phoenix Park “war room” that Denis Healey, then British secretary of state for defence, held a press conference in 1966 announcing the withdrawal of British troops from Singapore.
The shock announcement and eventual pull-out spurred Singapore’s leaders into action. They called for a snap election in April 1968 to score a strong mandate for plans to build the economy.
An article in the National Library Board’s archives showed that “in August 1968, new labour laws were passed to curb industrial disputes and attract foreign investors. Singapore also embarked on a rapid industrialisation programme”, and military spending was ramped up.
After the British returned the Phoenix Park site to the Singapore government, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) took up residence there from 1977 to 2001. ISD moved to a new MHA location on Irrawaddy Road that was called New Phoenix Park, in honour of its heritage.
After MHA left Phoenix Park, Republic Polytechnic occupied it from 2004 to 2006.
In 2008, LHN beat 10 other bidders in a tender for the site, with the highest bid of S$368,888.
LHN told BT that most of its remaining tenants are expected to vacate by Dec 31 this year, when its master tenancy ends. It said that it is assessing whether to proceed with a retender.
“However, given the significant ageing of the premises, extensive deterioration and largely greenfield terrain, the company foresees that retrofitting works are expected to be extremely challenging and would require high capital expenditure,” the group added.
A two-storey building at 308 Tanglin Road was tendered out separately in 2022. The winning bid came from childcare operator Little Paddington Preschool, at S$90,000 a month. This was the third-highest offer, with Pat’s Schoolhouse making the top bid with S$118,888.
The National Heritage Board declared the Tanglin Road premises a historic site in 2012.
The tender for it will close on Nov 12. A site show-around will be held on Sep 18 and 26, and the parcel is expected to be awarded in late February or early March next year.
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