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

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.”