Kallang Way terraced industrial block to be converted for retail in sale of food factory site

Built in the 1980s, a three-storey block of terraced industrial units in Kallang Way is the last of its kind in Singapore, representative of JTC Corporation’s industrial architectural history.

- Ng Keng Gene

In the coming years, the block in Kolam Ayer Industrial Estate will be given a new lease of life, with shops, food and beverage, and entertainment outlets, as well as health and fitness establishments being among possible uses for the retained block.

On June 25, JTC launched a tender for a 4.41ha site in Kallang Way, where a multi-user food manufacturing factory is to be built alongside the retained block.

This is JTC’s first Industrial Government Land Sales (IGLS) tender that includes a requirement for the successful tenderer to reuse an old building.

JTC said the retained “terrace-showroom” building is unique, as it has a purpose-built showroom space facing the road, which previous occupants used to display their goods to potential customers.

The block’s ground floor will have to be used for retail purposes, adding to the amenities available to existing residents and students in the area.

The successful tenderer for the site will be required to retain the building’s key architectural features, such as its protruding solar fins. The building has a gross floor area (GFA) of about 5,600 sq m.

Ms Tang Hsiao Ling, director of JTC’s urban planning and architecture division, said that with the current push for environmental sustainability, private sector companies are looking for opportunities to develop in a more environmentally friendly manner – a need that the agency hopes to meet through the tender.

She said JTC hopes the Kallang Way tender will demonstrate interest in adaptive reuse opportunities and pave the way for similar projects in future.

The agency between 2020 and 2021 held a competition calling for ideas on how to reuse existing industrial buildings in Yishun and Kallang-Kolam Ayer.