Farm fun on S'pore vacations

April 14, 2008

Farm fun on S'pore vacations

More farms going into agri-tainment for extra income

By Hong Xinyi

CITY-SLICKERS here can now go a little bit country if they want to.

And the place to do it is in Singapore's boondocks, where farms are re-inventing themselves.

Sure, these farms are where you can buy fresh produce - but think also hotel-style villas with terraces looking out onto fields of bananas.

Think spa, seafood restaurant and beer garden with a live band playing by night.

This is what visitors can expect from a stay at the 5ha D'Kranji Farm Resort when it opens in September in north-western Singapore.

Run by Indonesia-based HLH Agri-International, this $10-million venture is the latest and most costly instance of how farms here are marketing themselves.

Termed agri-tainment, this business concept draws people to out-of-the-way farms with restaurants, cafes and farm-stay opportunities.

Smaller farms can stay viable with this new income.

To date, eight farms out of 228 here have visitor amenities like food outlets and souvenir shops, said the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority.

HLH hopes to attract 500,000 visitors to D'Kranji Farm Resort every year.

Bollywood Veggies in Neo Tiew Road, owned by former Netball Singapore president Ivy Singh-Lim, added the Poison Ivy bistro to its premises in 2004. A culinary school is on the cards.

The bistro brings in about $400,000 a year. The money is used to cover expenses like rent and wages.

Green Valley Farm at Bah Soon Pah Road in Sembawang opened a cafe serving finger food, made with its produce, last year.

It may also introduce farm stays, said Mr Casey Oh, one of the owners.

Over at Nyee Phoe Flower Garden in Kranji, the three-year-old Petals and Leaves Bistro is rented out for retreats and weddings. Farm stays are also planned.

Nyee Phoe Group's business development manager, MrKenny Eng, said: 'Why should someone come to a farm to buy something rather than go to the supermarket? It must be to experience a different lifestyle.'

This is what engineer Sentiono Tan, 43, and his family hanker for on their visits to the Kranji farms. His daughters aged four, eight and 10 are thrilled to see animals like goats there, he said.

'It's something different to do in our free time besides shopping. It would be nice for families if more farms had places to eat and stay.'

Agri-tainment is good for the farms here, said Mr Eng, adding that more players and public awareness will help sustain these businesses. The additional source of income will also help to cover utilities and other bills.

'Agriculture is a tough industry in Singapore and we need more like-minded players. We need everybody to prosper,' he said.

Mandai's Orchidville orchid farm, for instance, has doubled its weekly visitors to 500 since its restaurant, Forrest, opened six months ago. Takings from the sale of orchids have also doubled to $5,000 every weekend.

The extra income has cushioned it against higher oil and fertiliser prices.

Its managing director, MrJoseph Phua, said the farm's dining facilities encouraged visitors to linger.

'That encourages them to buy more flowers. It's a good synergy,' he said.

He sees agri-tainment as a way of keeping a more relaxed way of life alive here, where things zip along at a hectic pace.

Ms Singh-Lim, who also heads the Kranji Countryside Association, agreed, saying that the rural atmosphere must be retained even as agri-tainment grows.

'We are trying to make sure that this doesn't become another Sentosa,' she said.



D'KRANJI FARM RESORT: Visitors can expect a spa, a seafood restaurant and a beer garden with a live band. Opens in September. -- MARK CHEONG




ORCHIDVILLE: Orchid farm in Mandai. Its restaurant, Forrest, opened six months ago.




NYEE PHOR FLOWER GARDEN: In Kranji. Petals and leaves Bistro is rented out for retreats and weddings. Farm stays planned




BOLLYWOOD VEGGIES: In Neo Tiew Road. Poison Ivy bistro opened in 2004. A culinary school is on the cards.

hxinyi@sph.com.sg

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Seletar Aerospace Park tenants hazy about future

Business Times - 14 Apr 2008


Seletar Aerospace Park tenants hazy about future

By VEN SREENIVASAN

(SINGAPORE) Some unhappy incumbent operators at Seletar Aerospace Park are grumbling about facilities being taken away and poor communication by authorities who are developing the 300-hectare aerospace park.

Several tenants who spoke to BT said they feared their days in Seletar could be numbered, as they face the prospect of being evicted from their existing facilities - but without adequate new ones being offered.

Airmark Group, a $100-million business which operates charter cargo flights out of Seletar, claims it has been operating out of two 20-feet containers with no power or electricity since its facilities were taken back to redevelop West Camp.

'We have been at Seletar for 30 years, and it looks like we are back to the primitive past,' said the company's chairman Yunos Ishak. 'We have no hangar space, no facilities, no priority. The authorities developing this place seem to have no plans for players like us.'

It's a similar complaint from Executive Jets Asia (EJA), whose regional business jet operations is headquartered at Seletar.

Prithpal Singh, who runs EJA, said his company had been told to vacate their premises at Seletar East Camp by the end of 2009.

'We understand the redevelopment needs,' he said. 'But what alternatives are there for us? Until now, we have had no indication of where we will be relocated, what kind of facilities will be given to us or how we will be relocated. And we are barely 20 months away from having to vacate this place.'

Another criticism levelled at Jurong Town Corporation and other agencies spearheading the redevelopment of Seletar was that they were turning Seletar into another 'Loyang aviation factory area', with players like Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney being accorded priority.

Rolls-Royce has broken ground on its $320-million Trent aero engine facility at the Seletar Aerospace Park, while P&W is building its new US$30-million, 105,000-sq-ft facility at the Park. Meanwhile, ST Aero's latest $17.3-million, two-bay hangar will give it eight wide-body, and 13 narrow-body, bays in Singapore, while Jet Aviations' existing facility is being extended.

But when contacted, JTC Corporation, which is spearheading the redevelopment of Seletar, denied that it was neglecting existing tenants and operators.

'Seletar is for everyone in the industry,' said a JTC spokesperson. 'Currently, we are redeveloping the plots which are not fronting the runway, but in the years to come, we will be in a better position to evaluate the availablity and allocation of runway-fronting land.'

She said that JTC, together with the Economic Development Board would allocate land based on need, availability and business plans presented by individual corporations.

'We are still at the early phase of development, and this is a complex project which still has 10 years to completion in 2018,' the JTC spokesperson added. 'We will be offering more land and facilities to players - big, small, local and foreign - as we move forward into our second and third phases in mid-2009 and after 2011, respectively.'

She added that plans were already being studied to build a commercial complex to house smaller aviation players, including business aviation.

'We will look into what they need,' she added. 'But as this is not a greenfield project, we will have to work around existing land constraints.'

Meanwhile, the existing tenants want more clear timelines in order to plan their businesses and investment needs.

'We need better communication,' Mr Singh said. 'They (the agencies) need to engage us on a regular basis.'

Seletar Aerospace Park is a 300-ha development cluster for aerospace MRO, design and manufacturing, training and business/ general aviation, all aimed at making Seletar Airport the region's premier business aviation hub. The existing runway - built by the British Air Force over half a century ago - is being extended to cater to bigger business jets.



Better communication: Prithpal Singh, who runs EJA, says the agencies should engage tenants regularly

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YOUR MILLIONS WILL NOT MOVE ME

The Electric New Paper :

YOUR MILLIONS WILL NOT MOVE ME

This house dwarfed by tall condos, owners refuse to budge

ON St Francis Road lies a piece of old Singapore - an old house between two tall, modern condominiums.

By Ho Lian-Yi


14 April 2008

ON St Francis Road lies a piece of old Singapore - an old house between two tall, modern condominiums.

The stilt-bungalow is a relic from a time when bullock carts, not cars, plied the roads, and old attap houses, not condominiums, lined the streets.

But its owners have remained deaf to the call of change, even when property developers dangle 'millions of dollars' and a new house elsewhere.

Property, even with the recent slowdown after a boom, is always hot stuff. Last year saw a record-breaking 14,800-plus residential units sold.

Development is relentless in Singapore and huge sums are involved.

Behind the house, a noisy crane hovers, where another condominium is going up. But to the old man of the house, Mr Gerard Clarke, 90, all the development is just noise.

'If this (the new construction) is noisy, how about when they were building this and that,' he said, pointing to the St Francis Court and StFrancis Lodge condominiums.

Mr Clarke, a kindly, sprightly gentleman - the type who refers to women as ladies - is a retired Shell employee. Some 10 years ago, before the condominiums were built, he was approached to sell the property.

His daughter, the bungalow's owner, Ms Louise Clarke, 53, an educational psychologist, said: 'It was terrible. They would just come and badger and badger.'

She recalled how one property agent even turned up at their doorstep with a picture of a terrace house that they could move into.

She said she was offered 'millions' but she would not sell. Not while her father is alive.

She doesn't remember how big her land is (her title deed is in a safe somewhere) but she says the house itself is about 2,500 sq ft, about the size of two five-room HDB flats.

The land area looks to be about three times the size of the house.

Recent transactions on the Urban Redevelopment Authority website showed that properties on St Francis Road and nearby St Michael's Road sold for $500psf to more than $1000psf.

Going by those numbers, the house alone can be worth up to $2.5 million.

IT'S MORE THAN JUST MONEY

But for the Clarkes, it is not about money. Mr Clarke has lived in the house since 1947, when he got married. It is spacious, charming, rustic and cool - though it was cooler before the condominiums blocked out the breeze.

According to Ms Clarke, the land up to St Michael's Road used to belong to her great-grandfather.

He divided it among three daughters (a fourth got nothing as she had moved to the US) and one of them - her grandmother - passed the land to her mother, Mr Clarke's wife.

When Mrs Clarke died last March, she inherited it.

Walking around the house is like taking a trip back in time. You see old pictures, a battered Bible that's older than Mr Clarke, and a wind-up clock.

Though the furniture looks old, there's nothing from before the Japanese Occupation, except a bulky cabinet. 'It was the only one looters couldn't carry off,' he said.

The floor, too, has been changed. There were big holes everywhere after the Second World War.

Maintaining an old house, estimated to be at least 90 years old, is not cheap.

Ms Clarke has had to pay for a new roof and supports under the aging floor. She wouldn't say how much all that cost, only that it was expensive.

Among their former neighbours was one Leslie Hoffman, whom Mr Clarke remembered as a journalist.

MrHoffman was actually the first local editor-in-chief of The Straits Times.

One unusual problem they face is strangers wandering on their property. (Like homeowners in the good old days, the Clarkes leave their gates unlocked during the day).

'Some of them were very rude,' said Ms Clarke.

Despite all that, property agents will likely still have no luck with the Clarkes.

Ms Clarke said she would rather bequeath the property to a relative than sell it.

As for Mr Clarke, what use has he for money at his age?

'I want to stay here till they have to carry me out,' he said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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New launches in East Coast area

April 13, 2008

On the market

In this weekly column, we bring you a sampling of properties up for sale. In the spotlight this week: New launches in East Coast area



D'Fresco,
freehold
58 Joo Chiat Lane

Units: 30

Prices: From $800 to $950 per sq ft (psf)

Launch date: Sometime this month

A project by the HLH Group, D'Fresco features private lifts for all units as well as a swimming pool, spa pool and barbecue area. Two-bedroom units span 700 to 1,100 sq ft, three-bedroom units 1,500 to 1,700 sq ft, and four-bedroom penthouses 1,500 to 3,000 sq ft.



Verte,
freehold
118 Lor H Telok Kurau

Units: 32

Prices: Average $912 psf

Launch date: Yesterday

Large apartments are on offer at Verte, where most units come in three- or four-bedroom sizes, ranging from 1,098 sq ft to 2,594 sq ft. There is also one townhouse that spans 2,756 sq ft. Developer Roxy Homes will provide some units with a pool and jacuzzi.

Also on sale at the Verte showflat is The Azzuro, a nearby project that boasts mainly smaller units, starting from one-bedroom apartments at 646 sq ft in size. The average price is $801 psf.

Both projects come with a pool, marble and timber floors, built-in wardrobes and kitchen cabinets.



Chateau La Salle,
freehold
36 La Salle Street

Units: Six cluster bungalows

Prices: Average $3.3 million for each unit

Launch date: Last Saturday

Each two-storey bungalow comes with an attic as well as a basement carpark and a communal pool. Living and dining areas are fitted with imported natural marble tiles, while bedrooms have timber floors.

Next week: Condominiums near MRT stations

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Jurong could be next suburban hot spot

April 13, 2008

Jurong could be next suburban hot spot

Swanky new facilities at Jurong Lake District will turn area into top commercial hub

By Jessica Cheam

The property market might have slowed in recent months, but for home hunters seeking good-value, long-term investments, there is one suburban estate screaming for attention: Jurong.

The Housing Board (HDB) town in the western region of Singapore might conjure up images of sprawling factories and sleepy suburbia, but in 10 to 15 years' time, it will undergo a transformation that could propel the estate to the forefront of the suburban property market, say industry experts.

Last week, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan unveiled an ambitious blueprint to transform Jurong into Singapore's only lakeside destination: the Jurong Lake District.

It is set to become the largest commercial hub outside the Central Business District (CBD) - almost three times the size of Tampines, now Singapore's biggest suburban commercial hub.

Jurong's rejuvenation involves the building of new waterways, 1,000 private homes and 2,800 hotel rooms, as well as the addition of 500,000 sq m of office space and 250,000 of retail space.

The Jurong Lake District, which at 360ha will rival Marina Bay in size, consists of two precincts: Jurong Gateway and Lakeside.

The 70ha Jurong Gateway will boast swanky new high-rise offices, condos and entertainment facilities, all within walking distance of the Jurong East MRT station.

Lakeside is being marketed as a unique lakeside destination that will offer water activities and many tourist attractions, including a first-class science centre. It will be located around the Chinese Garden and Lakeside MRT stations, and will target young families.

In the short term, market watchers say Jurong is unlikely to see 'exceptional boosts to prices', given the current lacklustre market sentiment.

'Plans are still at a very early stage, and it's difficult to predict exact figures for future increases in property values when many factors are at play,' said Colliers International's director of research and consultancy, Ms Tay Huey Ying. But in the long term, property prices in Jurong could match those in established suburban towns such as Bishan and Ang Mo Kio, she added.

With or without the newly announced plans, private condos in Jurong - such as Parc Vista, Parc Oasis, The Mayfair and The Lakeshore - have seen price increases of 50 to 60 per cent since 2005.

The home investor can get attractive rental yields at some properties such as those within walking distance of MRT stations.

For example, units at The Mayfair, completed in 2000, and Parc Oasis, completed in 1994, sold for a median price of $560 per sq ft (psf) between the middle of last year and March this year.

Both developments are near the Chinese Garden MRT station.

With monthly rentals averaging $2.70 psf, owners enjoy rental yields of 5 per cent, said Ms Tay.

Units at newer condos near the Lakeside MRT station such as The Lakeshore, completed last year, went for a median price of $730 psf. They commanded monthly rents of $4 psf, providing an attractive average yield of 5.8 per cent.

The director of marketing and business development at Savills Singapore, Mr Ku Swee Yong, noted that prices at The Lakeshore jumped 40 per cent to around $803 psf on average in the first quarter of this year compared with the first quarter of last year - driven no doubt by the buoyant market last year.

In view of rising inflation and declining interest rates, Ms Tay said properties in the Jurong Lake District area present 'relatively attractive investments', as they cater to a niche leasing market, made up of foreign white-collar professionals who work at the International Business Park.

Other choices for investors include private apartments such as the former Housing and Urban Development Company estate Ivory Heights - just a stone's throw from the Jurong East MRT station - and executive condos such as Westmere and Summervale.

The huge catchment of standard HDB homes surrounding the district adds to the broad range of properties available.

Prices of HDB homes at Jurong East have also risen, with executive units selling for a median price of $490,000 in the fourth quarter of last year, up from $468,000 in the previous quarter.

PropNex chief executive Mohamed Ismail said activity in the HDB segment, unlike that in the high-end residential market, is still very healthy.

Jurong East public flats have strong potential upside. For instance, a five-room flat in Jurong East now costs, on average, $90,000 less than one in Bishan and $135,000 less than one in Toa Payoh.

'I expect prices for public housing to increase 5 to 10 per cent in the next two years,' said Mr Ismail.

Leaning on the side of caution, the director of consultancy and research at Knight Frank, Mr Nicholas Mak, said property values will start to appreciate only when the Lake District plans materialise, which could take many years.

Government land is the most likely to go up in value, he said. If plot ratios go up, prices will also increase.

Because little of the land in the precinct is freehold, Mr Mak thinks it is unlikely that high-end private homes will be built in the area.

One likely investor, Mr Ivan Koh, 27, who works in a law firm, said the area has now emerged at the 'top of the list' for his property hunting. 'There are still other factors to consider,' he said. 'But at least, there is some security if I choose to invest in a home in Jurong, as I know there are big redevelopment plans there.'



jcheam@sph.com.sg



Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement & Condition of Access

EastLiving.com.sg

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EastLiving - Singapore Property and Real Estate DB