Refreshing mix of options for dining, entertainment and lifestyle activities for Gillman Barracks, with new tenders launched for creative lifestyle uses

·     Award of five tenders in the first phase of rejuvenation efforts will provide a refreshing mix of options for dining, entertainment, and lifestyle activities for all visitors.

·     Two new tenders for creative lifestyle uses will be released as part of the next phase of the rejuvenation plans to further enhance the variety of lifestyle offerings.

·     Precinct-level infrastructure upgrades are in progress, and activities such as regular heritage and art tours are expected to resume by end-2022, adding to the overall vibrancy of the precinct.

Singapore, 18 October 2022 - The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) today awarded a total of five Price and Quality (PQ) tenders, which will introduce more options for all-day dining, entertainment, and lifestyle activities in Gillman Barracks. With diverse offerings and programming, these proposals take Gillman Barracks a step closer to realising its vision as a vibrant creative lifestyle enclave.

2        The tender award concludes the end of the first phase rejuvenation efforts for Gillman Barracks, where a total of five PQ tenders were launched in May 2022 for the State properties at 5A Lock Road, 8 Lock Road, 10 Lock Road, and 45 Malan Road (with existing tenancies expiring in early 2023), as well as 9A Lock Road (currently not tenanted).

New Concepts that Inject Vibrancy to the Precinct

3        SLA has evaluated all 19 proposals received across the five tenders based on Price (40%) and Quality (60%) aspects to enable a holistic assessment of the proposals. Emphasis has been placed on the quality of the proposed concepts to encourage tenderers to submit interesting proposals that are aligned with the vision for Gillman Barracks as a creative lifestyle precinct, as well as ideas to drive green initiatives, inject vibrancy, and facilitate around-the-clock engagement with the wider community.

4        The tenders were awarded to bidders with the highest combined Price and Quality scores. They are Wheeler’s Estate (9A Lock Road), The BlackBird (8 Lock Road), Creamier (5A Lock Road), Handlebar (10 Lock Road), and Hopscotch (45 Malan Road). While three successful tenderers are incumbents, their proposals included refreshed offerings that are aligned with Gillman Barrack’s creative lifestyle positioning and comprised programming to contribute positively to the overall vibrancy of the precinct.

5        The five successful tenderers will offer a variety of exciting concepts such as all-day dining, themed cafés, family- and pet-friendly settings, as well as lifestyle events such as farmers’ markets, live entertainment and music, which will appeal to Singaporeans and visitors of varying interests. Families, cyclists, hikers, art enthusiasts, nature lovers, as well as the working community and residents living near Gillman Barracks can also look forward to experiencing this complementary mix of offerings.

6        In line with SLA’s plans to make Gillman Barracks an eco-friendly precinct, these proposals also feature green initiatives – such as the use of sustainable building materials during renovations and kickstarting feasibility studies involving the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging points on-site and solar energy panels. Visitors will also have an opportunity to participate in related workshops on eco-friendly topics, experience farm-to-table concepts, and enjoy hassle-free paperless receipts at selected outlets. Details of the successful tenderers and the key features of their proposals can be found in Annex A.

7        Mr Colin Low, Chief Executive of SLA said: “SLA is encouraged by the response and strong market interest received for our phase one tenders. We look forward to the lively mix of uses to the precinct while complementing the existing art offerings. Gillman Barracks, with its strategic location, rustic charm, and lush greenery, is poised to benefit from increased footfall with the introduction of refreshed concepts and a strong ecosystem of tenants being built. This brings us a step closer to realising our vision of Gillman Barracks as a vibrant lifestyle enclave.”

Launch of two new tenders

8        After concluding the first phase tenders, SLA today launched two new tenders for creative lifestyle uses: one for Block 9 #02-21, and another for Block 43 and Block 47 #01-21 to #01-24 (see Annex B).  Block 43 along Malan Road boasts the largest gross floor area of more than 10,000 sqft in Gillman Barracks. Together with Block 47’s charming red bricks facade, both Blocks 43 and 47 have immense potential to be further developed for unique placemaking opportunities.

9        Mr Low elaborated, “This latest tender phase opens more possibilities for Gillman Barracks to reinvent itself. With a larger floorspace and outdoor area for some of the units, SLA is excited to leverage on these qualities to introduce more varied creative lifestyle concepts to the precinct, and further expand the range of experiences offered at Gillman Barracks. This includes potentially having more offerings such as artisanal craft, fitness and wellness, vertical farming, family bonding, and co-working spaces. We believe that efforts to bring in more varied uses will positively contribute to the overall vibrancy to the precinct.”

10       All tenders launched will be evaluated based on a similar framework as the tenders in the first phase, with a quality component that continues to reward the concept and creativity of the business proposals, and how they can contribute to the continued rejuvenation and vibrancy of the precinct. It will also take into consideration green initiatives and efforts by the tenderers’ business operations, to reinforce Gillman Barracks’ eco-friendly positioning. 

11       All tenders will offer a longer upfront tenure of five years, renewable for a second term of two years.

12       The tenders will open for eight weeks starting from 18 October 2022. Parties interested to rent the premises at Gillman Barracks can access SLA’s one-stop property portal, State Property Online Information (SPIO), at https://app.sla.gov.sg/spio for more information.

A rejuvenated Gillman Barracks for all to enjoy in 2023

13       The enclave’s infrastructure upgrades are in progress with expected completion in the first half of 2023. This includes additional covered linkways at selected walking paths for improved connectivity, installation of wayfinding signages and heritage storyboards, upgrading of common washrooms with eco-friendly sanitary fittings and a new thematic playground to provide additional recreation spots for families with children. In addition, plans are underway to resume the regular heritage and art tours at Gillman Barracks, a programme that is managed by Friends of the Museums, by end of 2022. 

14       Visitors can look forward to experiencing a rejuvenated Gillman Barracks made possible with a suite of refreshed offerings and precinct level infrastructure upgrades, by 2023.

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Issued by:

Singapore Land Authority

18 October 2022

ANNEX A

9A Lock Road

Successful Tenderer	Wheeler’s Estate  Wheeler’s existing premises include Wheeler’s Yard at Balestier and a heritage black and white bungalow at The Oval (Seletar).
Key Features of Proposal	Cyclist friendly café, equipped with bicycle pitstop and repair station. All-day dining offerings. A cycling marketing campaign “Wheeler’s Across the Island”, to link up the Park Connector cycling routes from Wheeler’s Yard (Lorong Ampas) to Wheeler’s Estate (Seletar Aerospace Park), to their new outlet at Gillman Barracks. Lifestyle events such as sports activities, movie screenings, acoustic live music Use of sustainable building materials and cutlery. Plans to attain a pet-friendly licence.
Artist Impression(s)	Wheeler’s Across the Island - Artist Impression of Proposed Cycling Route (Photo credit: Wheeler’s Estate)     Artist Impression of Art Mural Wall, Bicycle Pitstops and Repair Station (Photo credit: Wheeler’s Estate)   Artist Impression of Live Outdoor Stage (Photo credit: Wheeler’s Estate)

5A Lock Road

8 Lock Road

10 Lock Road

Successful Tenderer	Handlebar
Key Features of Proposal	Pet friendly premises, with menu offerings featuring American Southern style comfort food  What’s New Biker themed restaurant, with an eco-friendly welcome arch to be potentially equipped with EV motorcycle charging ports, solar roofs, and proposed partnerships with various motorcycle brands to showcase their EV charging technology (subject to further feasibility studies). A new brunch menu. Farm-to-table concept with a vertical herbs garden.
Artist Impression(s)	Artist Impression of Vertical Herbs Garden (Photo Credit: Handlebar)   Artist Impression of eco-friendly welcome arch (Photo credit: Handlebar)   Artist Impression of Solar Roofs with EV motorcycle charging ports (subject to further feasibility studies) (Photo credit: Handlebar)

45 Malan Road

ANNEX B

Aerial View of Blocks to be Launched for Phase 2 Tenders

*Note: Block 9 (#02-21), Block 43, Block 47 (#01-21, #01-22, #01-23, #01-24) to be launched for tender