Singapore has officially opened the next chapter in the redevelopment of one of Orchard Road’s most historic sites, with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) inviting local and international developers to submit proposals for a new mixed-use destination at 37 Emerald Hill.
STB launched the Concept and Price Revenue tender on September 16, seeking proposals that combine heritage conservation, hospitality, lifestyle experiences and publicly accessible spaces. The tender will remain open for six months, with submissions due by March 16, 2027.
Former SCGS grounds set for a new chapter
The 1.04-hectare site is located at the intersection of Somerset and the Emerald Hill Conservation Area, just off Orchard Road’s main shopping belt.
The property was formerly home to Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS), which occupied the site for almost seven decades. Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority describes the area as a heritage cluster whose earliest building dates to the 1920s.
Rather than replacing that history with a conventional high-rise project, authorities are calling for proposals that integrate the site’s conserved structures with new development.
STB wants the project to introduce a new-to-market hotel concept, distinctive lifestyle experiences and accessible public spaces while retaining the site’s heritage character.
More than another Orchard Road hotel
The proposed development is intended to be more than an accommodation project.
STB says the future 37 Emerald Hill development should create experiences capable of attracting both international visitors and Singapore residents, encouraging people to spend more time in the precinct and return more frequently.
Plans are also expected to include year-round programming and public spaces, creating opportunities for community activities, leisure and cultural experiences.
That approach fits into Singapore’s broader strategy to reposition Orchard Road from a traditional shopping corridor into a more diverse lifestyle and tourism destination.
Heritage meets new lifestyle concepts
URA’s long-term planning for the former SCGS site envisions a mixed-use lifestyle destination that could include accommodation, retail, dining, arts and cultural uses, organized around intimate courtyard spaces.
The idea is to give the historic buildings a new purpose while creating new reasons for visitors to explore the area beyond Orchard Road’s established malls.
The development therefore sits at the intersection of two priorities: preserving a piece of Singapore’s educational and architectural history while giving one of the city’s best-known tourism districts a new attraction.
Part of a much bigger Orchard Road makeover
The 37 Emerald Hill project is one element of the government’s wider Orchard Road Rejuvenation Plan, which aims to strengthen the precinct’s position as a major lifestyle and tourism destination.
Other initiatives include building façade improvements, experiential installations, night-time programming and ready-to-use pop-up spaces for brands and businesses.
The STB’s Orchard Road Rejuvenation Initiative specifically supports projects intended to increase activity and visitor engagement across the precinct, including after-dark experiences.
CNA previously reported that additional hospitality concepts are also being developed around the Orchard Road area, including plans involving heritage bungalows in Tanglin.
A long-term tourism play
The government is positioning the redevelopment as part of Singapore’s longer-term Tourism 2040 ambitions.
STB Director of Land & Concept Development Ashlynn Loo said the agency envisions 37 Emerald Hill becoming a distinctive landmark that strengthens Orchard Road’s appeal while introducing new experiences for both visitors and locals.
The land parcel has a 50-year lease with an option to extend for 20 years, subject to the applicable terms and conditions, according to Business Times.
With the tender now open, the next major question is what developers will propose for the historically significant site.
The winning concept will ultimately have to balance several competing demands: heritage, commercial viability, tourism, public access and the changing expectations of Orchard Road visitors.
For a site that once served generations of Singaporean students, its next identity could soon become one of the most closely watched pieces of Orchard Road’s transformation.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
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