Former Changi Military Camp offered for development as hotel

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 11 Aug 2008

The former Changi Military Camp at Hendon Road has been offered for development as a hotel. This is the second state property that has been put up for hotel use.

The first state property that has been converted for hotel use is No. 175A Chin Swee Road. It is now a boutique business hotel called Hotel Re!.

The former military camp has a land area of 9,666 square metres – slightly larger than a football field with a gross floor area of 5,097 square metres. It comprises two blocks of three-storey buildings and a covered shed.

The tenancy is for an initial term of three years and is renewable on terms up to 2018. The guide rental is S$28,500 per month.

Nicholas Mak, director of Consultancy & Research, Knight Frank, said: “I think the developer will have to think creatively. For example, the building is fairly historical. It’s of British military nature – they may want to play up this fact.

“I don’t think you can find many places in Singapore which are a bit out of the way but still accessible. It’s fairly near to the sea and it has a holiday resort, and a bit of a laid-back kampung kind of feeling. So, I think Changi is right for this sort of holiday getaway.”

Sharing the same view, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said the property is well-suited for hotel use as Changi is being transformed into an exciting destination for locals and tourists, with its wide-ranging leisure, recreational and lifestyle attractions.

Since 2007, the SLA has awarded four state properties in the Changi area, namely Lorong Bekukong, No. 23 A/B, No. 24 Turnhouse Road and the former Changi Hospital, for adaptive commercial reuse.

Two of the properties have been converted into restaurants, while another is being transformed into a spa resort.