More state properties to be used as co-living spaces as SLA awards Little India tender - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - More state properties are expected to be put aside for co-living use in the next few months, as the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) on Wednesday awarded a tender for this purpose along Hindoo Road.

The two-storey building at 79 to 95 Hindoo Road in Little India has been awarded to construction and development firm Eco-Energy, which is collaborating with Cove Living, a co-living operator.

The building, which comprises 18 apartment units with a gross floor area (GFA) of about 1,700 sqm, is the first shophouse-type asset class under the state property portfolio to embrace the co-living concept.

With societal trends veering towards co-living spaces, the move is a response to the market’s evolving demand. There was a total of 16 bids for this tender, SLA said in a statement on Wednesday.

Emphasising the need for such innovative spaces, Mr Colin Low, SLA’s chief executive, said the authority has been actively engaging players to explore creative interim uses, as lifestyle and consumer trends evolve. By understanding market demand and needs, and through open price and quality tenders, SLA is able to partner with operators to enhance its properties for the benefit of Singapore and the community.

The revamped property will be named 1925 Quarters, in recognition of the property’s historical role of housing the junior Asian staff of the Municipality of Singapore.

Eco-Energy’s winning proposal, which was jointly developed with Cove Living, will offer communal areas designed to foster tenant interactions and bonding, while technology will be leveraged to organise community events such as urban farming workshops and heritage walks, to promote community and neighbourliness among the residents.

In line with SLA’s sustainability goals, the redevelopment will also incorporate energy-saving appliances and eco-friendly sanitary fittings in the bathrooms, and installation of food composters, among other features.

Following the award of the tender at Hindoo Road, SLA has launched a new tender for another co-living concept at a state property at 26 Evans Road. The site, located on the fringe of the city centre, a stone’s throw from Singapore Botanic Gardens and Botanic Gardens MRT station, is ideally positioned for co-living spaces, SLA said.

Proposals for this site will undergo a similar evaluation process, emphasising both price and quality, and how the redeveloped property can contribute to the continued rejuvenation and vibrancy of the precinct.

It will also consider green initiatives and efforts by the tenderers’ business operations. This tender will offer an extended upfront tenure of five years, renewable for another four years.

Tenders in the pipeline to be launched in the following months include 15 to 31 Hindoo Road. Details of these future projects will be unveiled in due course.

Mr Low said: “This is an effort we have been seeding since 2022. The successful introduction of these co-living tenders across more classes of state properties signals our commitment to unlock the value of state properties and leverage adaptive interim reuse of these properties to address the evolving needs of Singapore.”

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