Smart Food @ Mandai sets benchmark for freehold food factories

Food distribution for F&B operators in Singapore will increasingly rely on high-specification food factories that are future-ready, with built-in capabilities that enable business owners to get ahead of the competition in adopting Industry 4.0 standards. This is why established property developer Smartisan Realty is designing and building the next generation of high-spec food factories in Singapore. Its latest project, the freehold 84-unit Smart Food @ Mandai, will boast new design and quality standards. Centrally located in the Mandai Industrial Estate, Smart Food @ Mandai is a freehold food factory at the doorstep of the Sungei Kadut Eco-District, a master-planned rejuvenation scheme by JTC that will nurture new growth industries including agri-food technology. Four new precincts within Sungei Kadut Eco-District will cater to specialist sectors such as waste management and recycling; metal, timber, and furniture; and agri-food technology. The first phase will see 18ha set aside for an Agri-Food Innovation Park to co-locate research and development, prototyping, and high-tech farming options. Smart Food @ Mandai will feature a landmark architectural design that parallels its positioning as a next-gen development for business owners and operators. Plans for communal areas, a well-ventilated layout, and a wide variety of unit types and sizes aim to address many pain points faced by occupiers and tenants of older food factory buildings.

A landmark in Mandai

When two adjoining freehold sites at 10 and 12 Mandi Estate were put up in the market last year, Smartisan Realty homed in on the opportunity to capitalise on the growing demand for new, high-quality food factory developments among F&B distributors and businesses. Confident in the locational attributes, the developer has amalgamated the sites to unlock a stronger value proposition that a more built-up and high-spec food factory will deliver. It was also a chance to create a landmark development in the fast-growing Mandai Industrial Estate. Positioned as a future-ready development that will meet the needs of end-users over the next decade, the striking facade of Smart Food @ Mandai reflects this forward-looking mindset. Eschewing the conventional design of a bland concrete exterior, Smart Food @ Mandai features a vibrant eye-catching design with aesthetically pleasing pockets of greenery found on the second, fifth, and 10th floors. These green pockets also serve as communal areas that can be used for a variety of community engagement purposes. For example, they provide a pleasant space for F&B manufacturers and distributors to organise food-tasting events or merchandise sales events during festive periods. On a daily basis, these open-air spaces can be used to host convenient and accessible business meetings with partners. “It has always been our company’s mission to inject new vitality into each area where we have made our mark through the design and positioning of each of our developments,” the developer says. “At Smart Food @ Mandai, we see it appealing to existing businesses as well as a fresh new generation of players entering the market.” Careful consideration was made during the design process to ensure that the development will be one of the best-ventilated, newly built food factories in Singapore, keeping in mind the nature of the businesses operating there and the unpleasant environment created by lingering smells. This is in stark contrast to the dank and dingy conditions at some older food factories and industrial buildings.

High-spec units available

Business owners will also appreciate the variety of unit types available at Smart Food @ Mandai, which feature some of the best industrial unit specifications among new developments today. All unit types have received strong buying and leasing interest from owner-occupiers and investors. Many are drawn to the central and convenient location and impressed with the high specifications provided in each unit. The units that have piqued great buying interest and enquiries from buyers are the seven ground-floor units. These are the only units in the entire development with a prominent frontage that directly faces Mandai Estate, making them ideal for business owners seeking units with high street visibility to generate brand awareness. In addition, six of these units come with a 6m glass sliding door each that opens onto a wide walkway. The availability and convenience of a spacious area fronting each unit opens up the possibility of business and community-centric activities. Each ground-floor unit comes with a staggering 7m tall ceiling height and a regular layout that allows occupants to maximise the full upward volume of the space. Moreover, each unit is equipped with a hyper power supply and a built-in mezzanine for greater flexibility. Meanwhile, the typical units also boast high specifications and an efficient layout design. For example, all units at Smart Food @ Mandai have their exhaust duct placed outside of the unit to maximise the total useable area within. This means that even upper-floor units will offer the full use of their space. Typical unit sizes range from 1,776 sq ft to 2,034 sq ft for higher-floor units, while ground-floor units range from 3,100 sq ft to 5,156 sq ft. This wide range of unit sizes is uncommon in the market. “We have curated the size and efficiency of each unit to ensure that our offerings meet the average budget of the end-users, tenants, and occupiers of Smart Food @ Mandai,” the developer says. This means that owner-occupiers will be able to find a unit that meets their size requirements, without exceeding their real estate budget.

Early beneficiaries

Business owners and operators in the food industry with an eye on the future should not disregard the offerings available at Smart Food @ Mandai. With no new high-spec food factory developments and units expected in the Mandai Industrial Estate submarket for the foreseeable future, the window of opportunity to secure a unit in this landmark development is rapidly closing. Designed and built to anticipate the needs of users for the next decade, Smart Food @ Mandai offers its owners an opportunity to capitalise on the transformation of the food industry in Singapore in the years to come. Moreover, they will be early adopters and beneficiaries of the Sungei Kadut Eco-District, which is expected to create new jobs for future systems engineers, plant scientists, and aquaculture nutritionists. Being next to this transformed industrial estate puts F&B operators and business owners at the doorstep of innovation and discovery of synergies with the co-location of agri-tech activities.