Gillman Barracks being studied as potential site for housing

Enclave’s existing tenancies expire by 2030; 10,000 new homes to be built in Yishun

- Ng Keng Gene

Gillman Barracks - an arts and lifestyle enclave at the southern end of Alexandra Road - is being studied by the Government as a potential site for a new residential neighbourhood.

National Development Minister Desmond Lee told Parliament on March 5 that the new neighbourhood could comprise a mix of public and private housing that will meet demand for homes closer to the city centre.

Completed in 1936, the barracks were originally built to accommodate the Middlesex Regiment - the second British infantry regiment to be housed in Singapore during the colonial era.

After the grounds were handed back to Singapore by the British, they were used by the Singapore Armed Forces between the 1970s and 1980s, before being repurposed into a lifestyle cluster from the 1990s.

The Ministry of National Development (MND) and Housing Board said that existing tenants, whose tenancies will progressively expire by 2030, can continue to stay on site until their tenancies end. They include art galleries and food and beverage outlets.

New tenancies for properties within Gillman Barracks were announced as recently as April 2023 by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), which has been managing the enclave since March 2020.

Environmental and heritage studies will begin in the second quarter of 2024 and are slated to be completed in the first half of 2026, said MND and HDB.

Findings from the studies will allow the authorities to "plan sensitively" for the site's development, added Mr Lee during the debate on his ministry's budget.

There are currently no heritage protections in place for any of the buildings or structures in the area.