SINGAPORE: A S$20m makeover to convert the former Changi
General Hospital into a luxurious spa resort has been
shelved.
Separately, plans to develop a former military camp for
commercial use have also stalled.
Changi Point is located in an idyllic part of eastern Singapore, a
perfect getaway for stressed urbanites.
Tapping on the potential of the area, land authorities have
earmarked several state buildings for commercial use.
These include the 70-year-old former Changi General Hospital.
Tender for this site was awarded to Premium Pacific, a subsidiary
of Bestway Properties, for a proposed spa and resort
development.
The project was to have been completed by the first half of 2008.
But today, the building stands vacant.
The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said the site was returned to
the state on 11 January this year upon expiry of the initial
three-year term lease.
When contacted, the developer declined to comment on reasons for
the project falling through.
Property analysts said the reasons could include developers not
being able to meet conditions tied to the preservation of a
historical site.
Nicholas Mak, real estate lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said:
"Sometimes it could be (because the developer could not meet the
required) modifications to the building. Sometimes it could
be...for example, if the building was originally earmarked for
hospitality, the developer may find that they may not be able to
find a tenant for hospitality use but they may find one perhaps for
commercial use which may not be in the authorities' original
plan."
Nearby, a former military camp at Hendon Road had been put up for
hotel use. The project has also stalled. The SLA said the bidders
had "failed to meet the tender requirements".
Responding to queries from MediaCorp, the SLA and the Urban
Redevelopment Authority (URA) said the pace of development is
market driven. It added the stalled projects will not affect the
overall vision to develop Changi Point into a leisure
destination.
Analysts also cited Changi's rustic charm as a draw. Mr Mak said:
"The plan to transform Changi into a recreation area is a more
medium- to long-term plan and it is important to find the right
kind of uses or tenants or developers in that area than to rush
through the process and end up having a wrong mix for that
area."
Both SLA and URA said they are working together to put up the sites
for suitable uses in the near future. They also pointed to other
projects at Changi that have taken off. These include converting
the single-storey Art-Deco style house, built in 1934, into a
seafood restaurant.
Meanwhile a project to develop the site at a former commando
headquarters at Fairy Point Hill into a hotel is ongoing. The first
phase of that development is expected to be completed by the end of
this year.
- CNA/ir
