Heritage State Properties at Hindoo Road awarded for Co-living Concept to Meet Evolving Lifestyle Trends; More State Properties to be Pivoted For Such Use

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has awarded the tender for a co-living concept at 79 to 95 Hindoo Road to construction and development company Eco-Energy Pte Ltd, in partnership with co-living operator Cove Living Pte Ltd.

2        Situated in the Little India Precinct, the two-storey building which comprises 18 apartment units and has  a gross floor area (GFA) of approximately 1700 sqm,  is the first shophouse-type asset class under the State Property portfolio to be launched for co-living concepts. The tender was part of SLA’s efforts to address market feedback and demand for co-living spaces, amidst changing societal trends and preferences. The tender drew a total of 16 bids for the site.

Unique co-living experience featuring community bonding and green initiatives

3        SLA has evaluated all 16 proposals received for the tender, based on Price (50%) and Quality (50%) aspects to enable a holistic assessment of the proposals. The Quality component included an assessment of the concept and creativity of the proposal, how the proposals contribute to the overall vibrancy of the precinct, and how the proposals would incorporate green and sustainable initiatives, such as efficient water fittings, LED lights with smart sensors, and designation of spaces that promote recycling/upcycling efforts.

4        The tender has been awarded to Eco-Energy Pte Ltd, which had the highest combined Price and Quality scores. Their winning proposal is developed jointly with co-living operator Cove Living Pte Ltd, and will rebrand and market the property as “1925 Quarters”, in recognition of the property’s history as the quarters for the junior Asian staff of the Municipality of Singapore. 

5        The two-storey State property building, comprising 18 apartment units, will be reconfigured and supported by a mix of communal spaces (for day-to-day activities such as working, recreation, cooking and laundry), designed to encourage tenant interactions and bonding.

6        To foster a sense of community and neighbourliness among the residents – the Successful Tenderer will also leverage technology, such as Cove’s existing tenant community application, to organise a regular calendar of community activities and events for the tenants, such as volunteering, urban farming workshops, heritage photo walks, and cultural awareness activities.

7        In line with SLA’s efforts to go green, the Successful Tenderer will also implement green and sustainable initiatives at the property, including the installation of electricity saving appliances, usage of eco-friendly sanitary fittings in the bathrooms, smart motion sensors, and installation of food composters within the property.

8        Details of the Successful Tenderer and key features of their proposal can be found in Annex A.

Launch of new tenders for co-living concepts

9        To meet market demand for co-living spaces, SLA today launched a new tender for co-living concept at a State Property located at 26 Evans Road. With a gross floor area (GFA) of about 6,500 sqm, the State Property, which is located at the fringe of the city centre and within a short walking distance to Singapore Botanic Gardens and the Botanic Gardens MRT, makes for an excellent site for co-living spaces. Please see Annex B for more details.

10       The tender will also be evaluated based on both the price and quality components of the proposal, and how they can contribute to the continued rejuvenation and vibrancy of the precinct. It will also consider green initiatives and efforts by the tenderers’ business operations. Like the earlier awarded tender, the tender of 26 Evans Road will offer a longer upfront tenure of five years, renewable for a second term of four years.

11       More co-living tenders are expected to be launched over the next few months at various State Properties such as 15 to 31 Hindoo Road. More details will be shared when ready.

Pivoting State properties to support evolving lifestyle trends in Singapore 

12       Mr Colin Low, Chief Executive of SLA said: “SLA has been in continual engagement with diverse industry players to explore creative interim uses, as lifestyles and consumer trends evolve. By understanding market demands and needs, we are able to engage like-minded commercial operators through open Price and Quality (PQ) tenders and bring in creative new concepts and interactive programming for our properties, in ways that will benefit Singapore and the community. 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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Issued by:

Singapore Land Authority

16 August 2023

ANNEX A

Site Visual
Site Details	Site Address: 26 Evans Road (excluding unit #01-08) Tenure: 5 + 4 years Gross Floor Area (GFA): 6,555.5 sqm Site Area: 14,290.3 sqm Allowable Uses: Serviced Apartments, Student Hostel, Office (e.g. co-working) capped at 20% of total GFA; F&B, capped at 200 sqm