HDB Invites Tenders for Sengkang Market

Yesterday, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in Singapore started to invite tenders to build and manage a market and food centre for a piece of land in Sengkang New Town. The parcel of land has a maximum of 4,000 square meters gross floor area and stretches across 6,000 square metres site area.

The invitation for tenders came from the HDB Heartware Forum, which the Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu has chaired. One topic in the forum suggested that the building of hawker centres and wet markets must strengthen local identity and develop community bonding. Aside from requests to make another food centre and market, Sengkang was also selected because it is a new town.

Despite the existing global financial crisis, Nicholas Mak, the director of consulatcy and research for Knight Frank, hopes for positive reactions. “The Sengkang area is a growing estate housing about 140,000 people at the moment and the location of the market is quite attractive as well, with it being surrounded by high-density flats and quite near the MRT,” he said. A contractor that has frequently worked with HDB would most likely manage the project.
 
The tenure: an initial of five years with another two optional terms. Once developed, the project will house an estimated 100 stalls, which will serve food and even offer fresh market products. There will also be parking lots and a drop-off porch. This venture is expected to be completed by 31 December 2010.