Football pitch operators at Turf City moving to new sites

SINGAPORE: Football pitch operators at Bukit Timah Turf City have found new sites, with all tenants – except an equestrian operator – due to vacate by Dec 31.

WWTBF, a tenant that operated The Cage, was awarded a sports use site at 10A Harding Road, while Rainforest Sports Hub was awarded a site near Haw Par Villa MRT station.

Tenants at Turf City have been given two successive 18-month tenancy extensions up to Dec 31 to give them more time to firm up their transition plans. The site is zoned for residential use, with plans for a new neighbourhood.

According to a joint release by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Sport Singapore (SportSG) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Thursday (Dec 21), the only tenant that does not have to vacate its premises at Turf City by Dec 31 is equestrian operator Blue Dolphin Gallery, which has been given a three-month temporary occupation licence.

SPORTS FACILITIES

WWTBF's The Cage runs seven football pitches at Turf City. It has found a new site at Harding Road in the Dempsey area but its new home is about one-eighth of its size at Turf City, the operator said previously.

Rainforest Sports Hub operates eight artificial pitches, including an 11-a-side football pitch. It won the tender for the parcel of land next to Haw Par Villa MRT station.

SportSG has been working closely with relevant agencies to identify sites that can be progressively tendered out for sports use, the joint press release said, adding that this would attract good proposals to “better engage communities through sport”.

"For example, WWTBF’s proposal envisaged the 10A Harding Road site as an engaging and vibrant multi-sports facility, with a line-up of regular sports programmes involving diverse communities," said the agencies.

"Similarly, Rainforest Sports Hub’s vision for the state land adjacent to Haw Par Villa MRT station is to create an engaging, vibrant and eco-friendly rugby sports facility with regular rugby-related programming to engage the wider community."

To complement the strategies under the Sports Facilities Master Plan, SportSG aims to "increase the network of sport and play spaces beyond the provision of public sport facilities".

BLUE DOLPHIN GALLERY

Blue Dolphin Gallery, an equestrian operator, will not need to vacate the Turf City site by Dec 31 due to delays in moving to its new site.

The operator in February secured a state property at 8 Admiralty Road East to relocate to.

"However, due to extenuating and unforeseen circumstances resulting in delays of preparatory works, it will face a delay in getting the site ready for occupation," said the agencies.

SLA will grant it a three-month temporary occupation licence "on an exceptional basis" to enable it to house and maintain about 150 horses under its care, while it gets its new site ready.

As the Turf City site will be hoarded up and access will be restricted to ensure public safety, Blue Dolphin Gallery will not be able to carry out any commercial activities at Turf City during the period of its temporary occupation licence.

FOUR-YEAR LEAD TIME

Turf City tenants had been given about four years to plan their transition, said the agencies.

“Since 2019, agencies have engaged tenants regularly on the need to vacate the site to facilitate redevelopment.

“Two successive 18-month tenancy extensions were given in 2019 and 2021, to give the tenants more time to firm up their transition plans,” they added.

As part of efforts to support affected tenants, the government made available more than 20 new sites through public tenders to provide additional relocation options for tenants.

The sites are located across Singapore, ranging in size from over 8,000 sq ft to 1.6 hectares. They support a variety of uses, such as childcare, sports, and mixed uses.

The Turf City site has been slated for residential use since the 1998 Master Plan.

Agencies have been developing plans for the new neighbourhood, including studying the possibility of introducing a mix of public and private housing.

Detailed technical studies such as environmental and heritage studies are being carried out to ensure that the site is developed sensitively, said the agencies.

Turf City MRT station, as part of Phase 2 of the Cross Island Line, is set to open in 2032.

"Future residents as well as those living nearby will benefit from the new infrastructure and amenities, enhanced connectivity and pedestrian-friendly facilities introduced to the Bukit Timah Turf City area," said the agencies.

Plans for the Turf City site are currently featured in an exhibit at URA Centre.