Rejuvenation of Gillman Barracks taking shape with the inaugural Local Farm Festival to be held and two new tenders awarded

• The inaugural ‘The Local Farm Festival’ will be held at the Gillman Barracks from 14 to 16 April 2023, featuring more than 40 local farmers, food tech startups, artisans, crafters, and social enterprises

• Award of two new tenders will introduce new concepts and tenant mix with eco-friendly initiatives to Gillman Barracks

• Efforts add vibrancy to Gillman Barracks, transforming it into a creative lifestyle enclave for all to experience and enjoy

Gillman Barracks, managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), will host the first edition of The Local Farm Festival 2023 from 14 to 16 April 2023, and introduce new concepts from two successful tenders. These efforts will elevate the overall visitor experience at Gillman Barracks and strengthen its position as a creative lifestyle enclave.

Inaugural The Local Farm Festival at Gillman Barracks

2        Built on the theme of Food Future, the inaugural edition of The Local Farm Festival, organised by Gardenasia, will take place at the currently untenanted units at Block 43 and Block 47 of Gillman Barracks. Featuring more than 40 local farmers, food tech startups, artisans, crafters, and social enterprises - this exciting event is expected to spark a renewed appreciation for local farms and pave the way to a more sustainable and stronger food future.

3        Visitors to The Local Farm Festival at the Gillman Barracks can enjoy a diverse selection of local farm-fresh products, as well as experiential programmes for all ages. This includes a Sustainable Feed Camp by Feed9b that features Shark Tank challenges for the young, panel discussions, and interactive workshops on topics centered on food sustainability. For more information, please visit https://thelocalfarm.sg/the-local-farm-festival-2023/ .

4        Mr Colin Low, Chief Executive of SLA said: “SLA is committed to realising our vision of transforming Gillman Barracks into a vibrant creative lifestyle enclave with a variety of offerings for all. We are happy to do our part to support local farmers in their journey towards a stronger and more sustainable food future. A collaborative effort with like-minded partners to activate suitable SLA-managed spaces for meaningful place-making activities and social impact, this festival complements our goal to create an engaging, thriving and sustainable Gillman Barracks for all to experience and enjoy.”

5        Mr Kenny Eng, Festival Director said: "The Local Farm is glad to contribute towards SLA's vision of Gillman Barracks as a vibrant creative and sustainable lifestyle enclave.” He added, “The focus on promoting more farm-to-table experiences remains the core of our work.  Supported by SLA, Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Food Agency, The Local Farm Festival aims to raise a greater appreciation for our food sources, sustainable agriculture, and inspire more culinary innovations that feature quality local produce."

New tenant line-up to expand the offerings at Gillman Barracks

6        The SLA has awarded two Price and Quality (PQ) tenders for 9 Lock Road, and for Block 43 and Block 47 (four units from #01-21 to #01-24) today. These units have some of the larger floorspace in the precinct and will introduce new offerings to enhance the overall visitor experience within Gillman Barracks. This follows the earlier award of the five PQ tenders in Phase 1, which was announced in October 2022 for the State Properties at 5A Lock Road, 8 Lock Road, 9A Lock Road, 10 Lock Road, and 45 Malan Road.

7        All 12 proposals received for these Phase 2 tenders were assessed holistically based on Price (40%) and Quality (60%) aspects. Similar to Phase 1 tenders, emphasis was placed on the quality of the proposed concepts to encourage tenderers to submit differentiated proposals that are aligned with the vision for Gillman Barracks as a creative lifestyle precinct, as well as incorporate ideas to drive green initiatives, inject vibrancy and facilitate around-the-clock engagement with the wider community.

8        Charlotte Puxley Flowers Pte Ltd (9 Lock Road, #02-21) and Didi Lifestyle (43 and 47 Malan Road #01-21 to #01-24) have been awarded the tenders as the bidders with the highest combined PQ scores for the respective sites. They will form part of a new tenant line-up to introduce more diverse offerings at the precinct.

• Charlotte Puxley, a floral design studio, will add to the precinct’s offerings by conducting regular workshop sessions to cater to participants of diverse skillsets and ages. Envisioned as an engaging space, the premises are set to transform into a beautiful café and event venue in collaboration with social, community groups, and arts groups, as well as a backdrop for bridal photoshoots. An outdoor café will also offer a new dining option for families and pet lovers. 

• Didi Lifestyle will partner artisanal lifestyle brands to provide a range of F&B, retail and wellness offerings within one of the largest blocks in Gillman Barracks.  Visitors can also look forward to both bicycle and motorcycle themed showrooms and a good mix of retail shops, an engaging community space with multi-retail experience, sports and wellness activities like spin, yoga, seasonal pop-up events, co-working and workshop spaces, and weekend performances. Pet-friendly spaces will also be introduced.

9        Both successful tenderers will also introduce green initiatives throughout their tenancies. This is in line with SLA’s sustainability vision where green initiatives form an important aspect of the evaluation criteria. For instance, Charlotte Puxley plans to introduce hydroponic systems to grow plants on the premises and focuses on other recycling initiatives, such as the set-up of a Cutting Garden, where floral waste will be composted to help grow flowers for use during their workshops.   Didi Lifestyle also plans to deploy solar panels, explore electric vehicle (EV) charging points and feature a Clean Energy Gallery, to educate the public on sustainability initiatives and future of e-mobility.

10       Details of the successful tenderers and the key features of their proposals can be found in Annex A.  

11       Mr Low elaborated, “We look forward to having these successful tenderers join us on this journey to rejuvenate Gillman Barracks into a green and vibrant place. With the award of these tenders – dining, retail and entertainment options at the precinct will be expanded. Most importantly, it will also introduce new concepts, in areas such as wellness and bespoke event spaces, in this well-loved enclave. Through these offerings, we expect to draw in more visitors living and working in the vicinity, adding to the overall vibrancy of the precinct.”

Creating a vibrant, well-connected and sustainable Gillman Barracks

12       Visitors to Gillman Barracks can look forward to a curated tenant mix and event programming that offers a variety of differentiated concepts and green initiatives. In addition, they will also enjoy upgraded amenities such as additional covered linkways at selected walking paths, more wayfinding signages and a new playground in 2023. Heritage storyboards are targeted to be installed by 1H2023 across the precinct. These storyboards will be strategically placed to engage visitors as they journey through Gillman Barracks, paying homage to its military origins.

13       The common washrooms have also been upgraded and fitted with eco-friendly sanitary fittings in February 2023. Heritage and art tours at Gillman Barracks, a weekly programme that is managed by Friends of the Museums have also resumed.

14       Successful new tenderers from the Phase 1 rejuvenation efforts, such as The BlackBird and Wheeler’s Tropikana of the Wheeler’s Estate Group, are also expected to open their doors at Gillman Barracks in the later part of this year.

15       SLA will continue efforts to enliven and add vibrancy to rejuvenate Gillman Barracks into a creative lifestyle enclave for all to experience and enjoy.

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Issued by:

Singapore Land Authority

14 April 2023