Some developers see 0.83ha Bukit Timah plot turning into mini-Dempsey Hill
A relatively quiet plot in Bukit Timah, anchored by Spruce the restaurant, could be revived into a mini-Dempsey Hill.
If some developers get their way, the site – home to the recently conserved 1956 Bukit Timah Fire Station – could house small boutiques and food establishments.
The idea to somewhat model it as a smaller version of the Dempsey Hill retail and food enclave came from Mr Andrew Lau, 55, director of The Yards, a former school turned enrichment hub in Telok Kurau.
He was one of 36 developers, architects, environmentalists and business owners who visited the 260 Upper Bukit Timah Road site last Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a recce tour with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
The tour follows the URA’s call for proposals last month to give the place a new lease of life.
Mr Lau said: “Apart from making it more like Dempsey, the revamped site should ideally draw on its relationship with nature.”
Submissions for proposals for the Bukit Timah site will close in April.
Entries will be shortlisted and final proposals will have to be submitted later this year.
The site has been submitted by the authorities for an international competition, called Reinventing Cities, which encourages the sustainable repurposing of under-utilised spots in a city.
The authorities have laid out several requirements for developers.
For instance, 410 sq m must be set aside within the site for a visitor centre run by the National Parks Board.
The place must also serve as an additional recreational node and a base to explore surrounding attractions such as the Rail Corridor, the Coast-to-Coast Trail, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Dairy Farm Nature Park, the Former Ford Factory and Bukit Batok Memorial.
The winning team will be awarded a tenancy of three years, renewable by another two equivalent terms, for the interim adaptive use of the site.
The original eight-year tenancies for Spruce and 19 other tenants under real estate management services company LHN Group will expire at the end of the month.
Some of the tenants have accepted an offer to extend their leases to December so they have more time to relocate. The other tenants comprise enrichment centres for children, as well as a yoga studio.
The 0.83ha site, which is slightly larger than one football field, comprises the former fire station, seven three-storey blocks which used to serve as accommodation for firefighters, and a single-storey residence for the station master.
The old fire station, which has been vacant since 2005, was Singapore’s fourth after the Central Fire Station and suburban stations in Geylang and Alexandra. From 2025, the site will be served by the Hume MRT station on the Downtown Line.
Ms Claire Chan, URA’s director of physical planning in Central West Singapore, said: “The plot is at the nexus of so many nature and heritage attractions. The underrated site has great potential to be transformed into a community node.”
The fire station, which was established in 1956, was once integral in keeping kampung homes safe from widespread blazes. Then, the station also served an industrial corridor along Upper Bukit Timah Road, where a mix of light industry businesses, such as soya sauce factories and car workshops, operated.
One of the key markers of the site is a six-storey tower.
Heritage blogger Jerome Lim said firemen used it primarily to hang and dry their hoses.
“Unlike today, the hoses of the past were made from natural materials that required washing and drying to prevent rotting. The structure’s secondary use was that of a watch tower,” Mr Lim said.
Mr Lau of The Yards said he thinks the tower should be restored to its original glory as it is a visual marker. He also noted some challenges in re-adapting the site, including the relatively small units within the seven blocks.
Mr Yann Follain, 40, founder of architectural design firm WY-TO, who was also on the URA tour, believes the place has great potential to reconnect children with nature. Some of his preliminary ideas for the site include removing some of its driveways and to blanket the area in greenery.
“There could also be gallery pop-ups of major exhibitions on show in town to bring art outside of the city-centre. Ideally, there should also be a cafe, restaurant or bakery,” he said. “Conservation is important for the community memory, and adaptive reuse is a highly sustainable approach rather than to demolish and consume more energy with the use of new materials.”
“Source:[Old Bukit Timah fire station site ready for spruce-up] © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction”
