Late tycoon Chng Gim Huat's Lornie Road bungalow back on market at $83 mil

The sprawling freehold bungalow at 8 Lornie Road, formerly the home of the late property tycoon Chng Gim Huat, is back on the market with a guide price of $83 million, or $1,605 psf.

The 51,700 sq ft estate in prime District 11 is being offered for sale by public tender, with Knight Frank Singapore appointed as the exclusive marketing agent.

The property was first launched for sale by private treaty in May 2025 at $82 million, or $1,586 psf. The Chng family subsequently withdrew it from the market. The latest asking price is up $1 million, or 1.2%.

Read also: The Toh Crescent resort home and garden an agronomist spent nearly two decades nurturing, now asking $12 mil

The relaunch follows the family's June sale of the 272-room Orchid Hotel at 1 Tras Link in Tanjong Pagar for about $273 million. Developed by Chng's CGH Group, the hotel opened in 2011.

The buyer of Orchid Hotel was reportedly a joint venture majority-controlled by an entity linked to Leow Ban Leong, one of the two owners of Singapore-based construction and property group Master Contract Services. North America-based Westmont Hospitality Group holds a minority stake in the joint venture. Knight Frank also brokered the hotel sale.

Family home dating back to 1937

The pre-war bungalow at 8 Lornie Road dates back to 1937 and is believed to have been purchased by Chng in the 1970s from the late Kwek Hong Png, founder of Hong Leong Group and father of City Developments Ltd (CDL) executive chairman Kwek Leng Beng.

Chng, who died in August 2024 at 90, lived in the house with his wife and seven children — five sons and two daughters.

Over the decades, the house was expanded to accommodate the growing family. In the 1990s, the family added two bedrooms to the second floor and built an office suite for the family's investment holding company, Chng Gim Huat Holdings, on the ground floor.

The estate also has an expansive garden with mature fruit trees, including durian, mango, avocado, longan, pomelo and starfruit.

Read also: Why Far East Organization waited 16 years to launch freehold The Serra Residences in Novena

In a May 2025 interview with EdgeProp Singapore, Chng's son Alex recalled how the family would gather in his father's office after dinner to discuss business.

Chng also acquired an adjoining bungalow plot in 1987 and redeveloped it into two pairs of semi-detached houses -- one for four of his four sons.

Redevelopment potential

According to Knight Frank, the 8 Lornie Road site has about 58m of road frontage and offers redevelopment potential.

When the property was first marketed in 2025, Knight Frank indicated that the site could be subdivided into six detached houses or 16 semi-detached houses, subject to approval by the relevant authorities.

Alternatively, the site could be retained as a single private estate for a multigenerational family.

"Beyond its immediate redevelopment potential, 8 Lornie Road offers the opportunity to secure a substantial freehold estate in a market where opportunities of this nature are increasingly difficult to replicate," says Dayna Ang, senior manager of capital markets at Knight Frank Singapore.

Alternatively, the site could be retained as a single private estate for a multigenerational family.

Ang considers the guide price of $1,605 psf on land "an attractive entry point" for buyers with a long-term investment horizon.

Read also: The architecture of ambition: A legacy home built for visionaries

Melvin Chay, interim head of capital markets at Knight Frank Singapore, says the firm continues to see interest from developers and private investors in well-located freehold residential assets.

"While developers are focused on development feasibility and end-buyer demand, private buyers tend to place greater emphasis on location, privacy and long-term ownership," he says.

The tender for 8 Lornie Road will close on Nov 12 at 3pm.

Check out the latest listings for District 11 properties