1 The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has put the former Tanjong Katong Girls' School at 371 Tanjong Katong Road on a public tender on 23 February 2007 . With an estimated land area of 23,000 sqm and gross floor area of about 7,050 sqm, the property comprises two four-storey buildings, three two-storey buildings and three single-storey buildings linked by a covered walkway. The tendered usage include commercial school, foreign school endorsed by MOE, martial arts school, judo school, fencing school, archery school, students' hostel, education centre and tuition centre. The tenure is on an initial term of three years and is renewable on terms up to 2014. See location map attached.

2 The indicative guide rent is at $56,400 per month. The valuation for the guide rent takes into account the size of the property, its physical condition and the tenancy period. SLA will consider the tender prices , concepts, proposed uses and the financial health of the company when evaluating the bids.

3 A s there are buildings within the premises that have been gazetted for conservation, certain structures have to be restored in accordance with the conservation guidelines. For this particular case, generally, all original structural and architectural elements are to be retained and restored. The character and key architectural elements and features of the buildings ( Main Building ) should be retained. They include the original building profile and height, original roof profile and exterior and façade elements, decorative features and key internal architectural elements such as doors, windows, beams, vents, columns, railings and decorative motifs. Additions & alteration works will also require the written approval of SLA and other relevant authorities.

4 SLA 's Director of Land Operations ( 土地咨询商业处长 ), Mr Simon Ong ( 王汉龙 ), said, “Our schools have been adapted into other uses from the arts to foreign schools to hostels. The ease of adaptability for a disused school with purpose-built facilities, help tenants get their operations up and running sooner and at lower start-up costs.”

5 Those interested to view the property, can visit SLA 's State Property and Information Online (SPIO) web portal (www.spio.sla.gov.sg). There will be a site showround for the property on Friday, 2 March at 4pm . Please call SLA hotline at 6323 9154 to arrange for viewing of the property at other times outside the scheduled site showround. The tender will close on 16 March at 11 am .

Issued by:
Singapore Land Authority (SLA)
24 February 2007

Annex A: Map of 371 Tanjong Katong Road (Source: Singapore Land Authority)

Sidebar story: Former State school sites turned into other uses
Former school buildings have also been adapted and reused for other purposes. Below are some examples:

As art venues
These properties are currently tenanted to the National Arts Council (NAC) on a 3+3+3 year renewable term:

Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre (TAPAC) at 182 Cecil St
Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society at 2A Starlight Road (Former Rangoon Primary School)
Stamford Arts Centre at 155 Waterloo St

As foreign universities and international educational institutions
Under a partnership scheme between the Economic Development Board (EDB) and SLA, the EDB-Global Schoolhouse, vacant schools are easily adapted into foreign universities and international educational institutions at lower start-up costs.

As hostels/ dormitories
Here are some hostels that are operating in State properties:

Katong Hostel at No 369 Katong Road
Vita Hostel at 50 Carlisle Road
Pearl Hill Hostel at No 5 Pearl Hill Road
Cambridge Hostel at No 155 Owen Road

These State properties were secured through open tenders conducted by SLA. They have undergone some minor refurbishment and extension of existing facilities, transforming each property into a warm and homely abode to foreign students, second to their own hometowns.

About SLA
Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is a statutory board with the Ministry of Law. Its mission is to optimise land resources for the economic and social development of Singapore. SLA is responsible for the direct management of some 14,000 hectares of State land and about 5,000 buildings. It is also in charge of land sales, leases, acquisitions and allocation, developing and marketing land-related information, and maintaining the national land information database through digitised land information services. SLA is also the national land registration authority for property transactions, and the issuance and guarantee of land titles in Singapore. It also manages and maintains the national land survey system, including the defining of boundaries or legal limits of properties based on a coordinated cadastre survey system. For more details, visit www.sla.gov.sg.