Chinatown Business Association wins tender to manage iconic Smith Street in Chinatown

The Chinatown Business Association (CBA) has won the tender for a row of iconic shophouses along Smith Street in Chinatown. CBA consists of stakeholders operating in Chinatown, such as business leaders, grassroots leaders, Chinese clan associations, hoteliers, hawkers and retailers. The tender to appoint a single master tenant to oversee the historic row of shophouses at 11 to 37 Smith Street was jointly launched by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) back in November last year. This rejuvenation initiative aims to inject new vibrancy and drive greater footfall to the street. It will also introduce community programmes and a more diverse set of offerings, such as creative lifestyle, retail, and flexible space concepts while preserving the street’s cultural and architectural heritage. Read also: First-level food court and shop at People’s Park Centre for sale at $27 mil Advertisement Advertisement The master tenant will undertake the integrated management of the shophouses and an adjacent State land plot, which have a total land area of 34,066 sq ft and an estimated gross floor area of 33,065 sq ft. The tender was evaluated based on price and the quality of each submitted concept. It attracted five different bidders when the tender closed in March, including CBA which submitted the winning bid of $123,000. As the master tenant, CBA will manage the properties for five years plus a second term of four years. Noontalk Media submitted the highest bid of $180,000, followed by runner-up CBA. Other bids ranged from $108,174 from Benlo Ventures to $68,177 from ABR Holdings and a $53,000 bid from IGYM Fitness. According to SLA, the revitalised Smith Street will see a new line-up of lifestyle concepts and dining experiences. It says that CBA’s proposal of “differentiated lifestyle concepts, complementary programmes and enhancements to the public realm aims to further promote local Chinese heritage and strengthen the identity of the area”.