The former Changi Hospital will undergo a $20-million makeover to become a rustic spa and resort for Singaporeans and budget travellers by year’s end.
Property company Bestway Properties, which won a recent tender to lease the Halton Road site, wants to create an ‘ecologically sensitive’ 50-room retreat.
The old Changi Hospital, formerly a military hospital, was vacated in 1997 following its merger with Toa Payoh Hospital to become Changi General Hospital in Simei.
Bestway won the tender for the three 70-year-old buildings through its subsidiary, Premium Pacific. It will lease the site for an initial three years, renewable up to 2016 in three-year blocks.
A director of Bestway, Mr Anthony Tan, told The Straits Times in Mandarin that his company chose the site for its heritage value, seeing as how there were ‘too many run-of-the-mill buildings’ nowadays.
Two of the three buildings there are conservation buildings. Their facades and major structures cannot be altered, although their internal spaces may be reconfigured for new uses.
Mr Tan said the resort will have fine-dining options aside from the 50 rooms, half of which will be naturally ventilated to take advantage of the lush greenery in the area.
His company will be investing about $10 million to refurbish the place, and looking to rope in partners willing to put up the remaining half of the money.
The sleepy hollow of Changi Point has of late been jazzed up with a refurbished hotel, a new ferry terminal and a coastal boardwalk.
Another property in the area could be in for a makeover. This is a wooden kampung-style structure in Lorong Bekukong, next to Changi Point Ferry Terminal.
Formerly a seafood restaurant, it is now up for tender to be redeveloped. The tender closes on Feb 16.
Source : Straits Times - 2 Feb 2007
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