# Gillman Barracks tenants disappointed as site set to make way for housing after 2030

- **Source:** Channel NewsAsia
- **Published:** 2026-07-13T22:00:00.000Z
- **Author:** Erin Liam, Muhammad Bahajjaj
- **Original:** https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/gillman-barracks-hdb-tenants-arts-housing-6250661
- **Topics:** HDB & Public Housing, Government & Policy

## Featured rationale

The redevelopment will unlock residential land near the Southern Ridges, but may displace an established arts ecosystem and complicate tenants’ relocation decisions.

## AI summary

Gillman Barracks’ 40ha site will make way for housing after 2030, with tenant leases expiring progressively by Q2 2030 and four heritage clusters largely retained.

## Original article

SINGAPORE: Tenants at Gillman Barracks have long known that redevelopment was on the cards once the lease for the arts and lifestyle enclave expires in 2030. But confirmation on Friday (Jul 10) that the site will make way for housing , following environmental and heritage studies by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), still came as a disappointment to many. “We thought, after two years of study, they might – because of (its) whole ecosystem and historical value, plus the arts cluster – change their minds,” said Ms Jan Pek, owner of Handlebar, a biker’s bar which first opened in Gillman Barracks in 1999. Built in 1935, Gillman Barracks was a British military garrison before being repurposed into an arts precinct in 2012. It is now home to art galleries, bars, restaurants and lifestyle businesses. “It's quite a pity,” said Ms Pek. “Because art and culture need time to mature. Finally, after so many years, people start to (settle in), then you are going to take it away.” The government first announced in March 2024 that it was studying the possibility of introducing a new residential neighbourhood at Gillman Barracks. Following the ecology and heritage studies, HDB said agencies plan to "largely retain" four clusters representing the site's "most historically and architecturally significant" parts, though at least 10ha of forest could be cleared. The new estate at the 40ha site will offer residents a "charming and vibrant" place to live, close to the Southern Ridges and Labrador Nature Park Network, HDB said. The retained buildings could be repurposed for commercial offerings and amenities for future residents.

NO PLANS TO LEAVE The Singapore Land Authority (SLA), which manages Gillman Barracks as state property, said the site has 11 arts tenants and 13 food and beverage or lifestyle tenants. A timeline for the housing development has yet to be set, but the tenancies of these businesses will expire progressively by the second quarter of 2030. Most tenants CNA spoke to said they hope to remain until the end, even if their leases expire before then. Mr Roger Yip, 34, co-founder of Hopscotch bar, said the company knew when it signed the lease in 2021 that the land was slated for development. The lease expires in 2028, but Mr Yip said he will "certainly" extend it if given the chance, adding that he hoped crowds would improve as this is the public's last chance to experience Gillman Barracks as it is. “From the first time we set foot in Gillman Barracks, the place always gave an out-of-Singapore vibe … It was also the place that helped us jump-start our business to what it is today,” he said.

Handlebar’s Ms Pek, 57, said the bar will stay as long as it can, having built up a loyal customer base over nearly three decades. She hopes for support to continue the business after 2030. “Because once it’s gone, it’s gone. And we will never be any younger. I don't think we have the energy to rebuild and continue, or work for the next 10 years to be able to break even, to build the flow of customers again.” Lifestyle group byDIDI, which occupies Gillman Barracks' Southern Depot and owns four companies in the area, has invested a substantial six-figure sum in the site and is now worried about recovering those costs. "Just being able to cover our regular operating expenses is something that we are concerned about,” said the group’s head of lifestyle operations Ewan Wong. He added that uncertainty over the site's future has made it harder to bring in new partners, as long-term investments are no longer seen as viable. "In any case, our ROI (return on investment) has always been long term. Even in terms of being able to cover our initial capital expenditure, we're looking at least a 30 per cent to 40 per cent loss already, having to cut short the time frame,” said Mr Wong. A SPACE FOR THE ARTS Gillman Barracks has also built an arts community that tenants say has taken time to cultivate. Ms Theresia Irma, general manager of Mizuma Gallery, said people used to be intimidated to enter the galleries, but she now sees more young people and families visiting on weekends. “It's great to have a place like this to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city … And I wonder if we can ever have something like this in the future,” she said. Some tenants are concerned the arts cluster's identity will be lost in redevelopment. Mr Colin Wan, general manager and chief creative of non-profit Art Outreach, said Gillman Barracks is one of the only dedicated visual arts clusters in Singapore. He is on the lookout for alternative spaces but said suitable ones are hard to come by, and that the organisation is ready to extend its lease when it ends next year. “A lot of the industrial places, they are not very accessible. But if you go to non-industrial spaces, then the rent will be too high,” he said. Art Outreach promotes art education and supports the development of art practitioners in Singapore. Programmes during Singapore Art Week have brought returning visitors to subsequent shows, and audiences to Art Outreach during last year's edition doubled compared to 2024. “After all these efforts that the whole community in Gillman has done over the past few years, it would be a waste if we have to let it go just like that,” said Mr Wan.

Ms Audrey Yeo, director of contemporary art gallery Yeo Workshop, hopes the galleries can continue working with the authorities to find spaces in Singapore for "ambitious" large-scale exhibitions and the kind of spacious environment that "creativity requires to flourish". “Commercial galleries are much more than places to buy art. They are spaces where artists build careers, ideas are exchanged, communities gather and culture is made visible,” said Ms Yeo, who is also the president of the Art Galleries Association. She added that the precinct has seen growing organic footfall, with "thousands of people" visiting during Singapore Gallery Month. A spokesperson from Richard Koh Fine Art welcomed more engagement from the authorities on the transition beyond the initial notice of development plans. “Naturally, there is some concern that footfall and the energy of the precinct may taper off as neighbours move out. "That said, the galleries here are keeping our programming running for as long as we are at Gillman, and we hope the agencies will do their part to keep the cluster active and programmed for as long as tenants remain.” WHAT’S NEXT SLA told CNA it has progressively upgraded the enclave's infrastructure since 2022 to enhance the visitor experience for tenants and the community, and to maintain the precinct's vibrancy. "Agencies have been engaging existing tenants since 2023, and have kept them informed of the environmental and heritage studies being conducted to guide land use planning for the site as well as upcoming development works," the authority said, noting that development plans will not shorten any of the tenancies. SLA added that agencies will continue to engage stakeholders, including existing tenants, alongside the site's future development plans, and that it has encouraged tenants to begin planning early ahead of their tenancy expiry. It will also continue working with agencies to put out vacant units for suitable short-term use until the end of 2029.

The planned development area also includes the Academy of Singapore Teachers, ISS International School and Telok Blangah Archery Club, which comes under Telok Blangah Community Club. The Ministry of Education said staff at the Academy of Singapore Teachers' campus at 2 Malan Road will vacate the site by the end of 2026, ahead of the area's future development. They will be relocated to other ministry headquarters sites before moving to the new Goh Keng Swee Centre for Education building when it is completed in 2029. CNA has contacted ISS International School and Telok Blangah Community Club for comment. For now, tenants hope the space can thrive until its end. The precinct will be the anchor arts district for the upcoming Singapore Gallery Month in August. “I have always known that we are living on borrowed time. In Singapore, the only constant is change,” said Ms Stephanie Fong, the founding director of FOST Gallery, which has operated at Gillman Barracks since 2012. “I encourage more people to come and enjoy the lush grounds, visit the galleries, explore the forested ridge behind us, before all of this becomes just a memory.”

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok

### 吉尔曼军营租户失望：2030年后场地将腾出作住宅用途

吉尔曼军营商户租约将于2030年第二季度前陆续届满，以便腾出场地作住宅用途。

新加坡：吉尔曼军营（Gillman Barracks）的租户早已知道，这片艺术与生活方式街区租约于2030年届满后，将面临重新发展。但周五（7月10日）建屋发展局（HDB）完成环境与遗产研究后确认，该场地将腾出作住宅用途，仍令许多人感到失望。

Handlebar老板Jan Pek女士表示：“我们以为研究了两年后，他们或许会——因为这里的整个生态体系、历史价值，以及艺术集群——改变主意。”该摩托车酒吧于1999年在吉尔曼军营开业。

吉尔曼军营建于1935年，曾是英国军事驻地，2012年改建为艺术区，现为画廊、酒吧、餐厅与生活方式商户的所在地。Pek女士说：“挺可惜的。因为艺术与文化需要时间成熟。这么多年下来，人们终于开始安顿下来，然后又要把它拿走。”

政府最早于2024年3月宣布，正研究在吉尔曼军营引入新住宅邻里的可能性。在完成生态与遗产研究后，HDB表示，各机构计划“大体保留”四个代表该地“历史与建筑意义最突出”部分的组团，但至少10公顷森林可能被清理。HDB称，这个约40公顷场地的新组屋区将为居民提供“富有魅力与活力”的居住环境，邻近南部山脊与拉柏多自然公园网络。保留建筑或可改造为商业设施及未来居民的配套服务。

暂无撤离计划

管理吉尔曼军营国有产业的新加坡土地管理局（SLA）表示，该场地现有11家艺术租户及13家餐饮或生活方式租户。住宅发展时间表尚未确定，但这些商户的租约将于2030年第二季度前陆续届满。接受CNA采访的多数租户表示，即使租约在此之前到期，也希望能撑到最后。

Hopscotch酒吧联合创办人、34岁的Roger Yip先生表示，公司在2021年签约时就知道该地已规划作发展。租约于2028年届满，但Yip表示若有机会“肯定”会续约，并希望人流能改善，因为这是公众以现状体验吉尔曼军营的最后机会。他说：“从第一次踏入吉尔曼军营，这里总给人一种‘不像新加坡’的氛围……它也是帮助我们把业务起步到今天的地方。”

Handlebar的Pek女士（57岁）表示，酒吧已近三十年积累忠诚客群，能待多久就会待多久。她希望2030年后仍能获得支持以延续生意。“因为一旦没了就真的没了。我们也不会再年轻。我不觉得我们还有精力重建、继续经营，或再花十年才打平、重新建立客流。”

入驻吉尔曼军营Southern Depot、并在该区拥有四家公司的生活方式集团byDIDI，已在场地投入可观的六位数资金，现担心能否收回成本。集团生活方式业务主管Ewan Wong说：“能否覆盖日常运营开支，已经是我们担心的事。”他补充，场地前景的不确定性使引进新合作伙伴更难，长期投资已不再被视为可行。“无论如何，我们的投资回报向来是长期的。即便只是覆盖初期资本开支，因时间被压缩，我们至少已面对30%到40%的损失。”

艺术空间

吉尔曼军营也形成了租户们认为需要时间培育的艺术社群。Mizuma Gallery总经理Theresia Irma女士说，过去人们进入画廊会有些胆怯，但现在周末能看到更多年轻人与家庭到访。“有这样一个地方可以暂时逃离城市喧嚣，真好……我不知道将来还能不能再有这样的地方。”

部分租户担心艺术集群的身份会在重建中消失。非营利机构Art Outreach总经理兼首席创意Colin Wan先生表示，吉尔曼军营是新加坡少数专门视觉艺术集群之一。他正在寻找替代空间，但合适场所难觅，并准备在明年租约届满时续约。“很多工业场所交通不便；但若去非工业空间，租金又会太高。”

Art Outreach推动艺术教育并支持新加坡艺术从业者发展。新加坡艺术周的活动为后续展览带来回头客，去年该机构在艺术周期间的观众较2024年翻倍。Wan说：“吉尔曼整个社群这几年付出这么多努力，如果就这样放手，实在太可惜。”

当代艺术画廊Yeo Workshop总监Audrey Yeo女士希望各画廊能继续与当局合作，在新加坡找到可举办“有野心”的大型展览、以及“创造力需要宽敞环境才能茁壮成长”的空间。身兼画廊协会会长的Yeo说：“商业画廊远不止是买画的地方。它们是艺术家建立事业、思想交流、社群聚集、文化得以可见的空间。”她补充，该区有机人流持续增长，新加坡画廊月期间有“数千人”到访。

Richard Koh Fine Art发言人对当局在初步发展通知之外加强过渡期沟通表示欢迎。“自然会有些担心：邻居陆续迁出后，人流与街区活力可能减弱。不过，只要还在吉尔曼，我们画廊会继续维持节目安排，也希望各机构尽其本分，在租户仍在时保持集群活跃与节目。”

下一步

SLA告诉CNA，自2022年起已逐步提升该飞地的基础设施，以改善租户与社区的访客体验并维持活力。该局表示：“各机构自2023年起与现有租户接触，并持续告知为引导用地规划及即将展开的工程而进行的环境与遗产研究。”并指出发展计划不会缩短任何租约。

SLA补充，各机构将继续与包括现有租户在内的利益相关方沟通，并鼓励租户在租约届满前尽早规划。该局亦将继续与各机构合作，在2029年底前将空置单位作合适的短期用途投放。

规划发展范围还包括新加坡教师学院、ISS国际学校，以及隶属直落布兰雅民众俱乐部的直落布兰雅射箭俱乐部。教育部表示，位于马兰路2号的新加坡教师学院校园员工将于2026年底前撤离，以便该区未来发展。他们将先迁至其他部会总部场地，待2029年新的吴庆瑞教育中心落成后再迁入。CNA已联络ISS国际学校及直落布兰雅民众俱乐部征求评论。

眼下，租户希望这块空间能在落幕前继续兴旺。该区将是即将于8月举行的新加坡画廊月的核心艺术区。自2012年起在吉尔曼军营运营的FOST Gallery创办总监Stephanie Fong女士说：“我一直知道我们是在借来的时间里生活。在新加坡，唯一不变的就是改变。我鼓励更多人前来享受葱郁的场地、参观画廊、探索我们身后的林带山脊，在这一切成为记忆之前。”