Having important Malay/Muslim offices in Tanjong Katong Complex will underscore the commitment to making Geylang Serai a distinctive cultural belt, Dr Maliki said.
“(We want to) see a vibrant precinct that is attractive enough for people from all walks of life – the Malay community sees it as the heart of the community, yet it is the pride of all Singaporeans,” he added.
The developer must also provide outdoor public plazas for community events such as exhibitions, concerts and bazaars, as well as improve connectivity for pedestrians.
The minimum gross floor area is 19,000 sq m, which is the existing floor area of Tanjong Katong Complex. Developers can propose an annexe building of up to five storeys, with a total maximum gross floor area of 30,166 sq m.
“NEW LIFE AND NEW PERSPECTIVE”
In 2021, SLA announced that the complex would be closed for major upgrading from the second half of 2023. Since then, SLA and other agencies have studied different options and decided to put the building up for sale.
“We thought that might give new life and new perspective,” said Dr Maliki, who added that a private operator is likely to be more effective than government officials in putting together a tenant mix.
“Business people know how to run businesses well enough,” he said. “We curate the parameters broadly and clearly for them, (then) we leave it to them.”
With a good understanding of the culture and history, what comes out should be something quite different from the neighbouring Paya Lebar Quarter, he added.
Mr Wang Wei, director of land sales at SLA, said MUIS, MENDAKI and the library are “building blocks” for the rejuvenated Tanjong Katong Complex. “These are the pluses that will really make this building very distinctive, and we really hope that the prospective tenderer will come in, recognise these attributes and hence, curate accordingly.”
The tender will close on Feb 25, 2025. Those interested will have to submit a concept proposal and a tender price to SLA.
The concept proposals will first be evaluated before the bids for shortlisted proposals are considered. The highest bid will win the tender, and it should be announced by the first half of 2025.
SLA said it expects renovations at Tanjong Katong Complex to be completed by the first half of 2029, three years later than initially announced.
“Although there’s been (a) slight delay, it is a worthwhile time spent to reflect on what better outcomes we can look out, for compared to our earlier iteration,” said Dr Maliki.
