Master tenant fails to get lease extended, but can take part in public tender
Jose Hong Straits Times 8 Apr 12;
It shuttered its operations at Bottle Tree Village in Sembawang in February when its lease expired.
But now, the same master tenant may have to let its other operation, Bottle Tree Park in Yishun, go.
After eight years, Planar One & Associates' lease on the 7ha park opposite Yishun Stadium will run out in October, and although it appealed to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to extend its lease, the government agency has said no.
In response to queries by The Sunday Times, SLA said it puts up a property for public tender when a tenancy expires, 'for fairness and transparency'.
This is so that other interested parties can have a go at bidding for use of the land. Planar One can also participate in the tender, said a spokesman for SLA.
Mr Alex Neo, managing director of Planar One, confirmed that the company did submit an appeal for an extension, but would not say more now that the appeal has been rejected.
Planar One ran Bottle Tree Village in Sembawang for eight years. The 8,671sq m rustic enclave had a popular seafood restaurant and offered recreational activities like fishing.
Bottle Tree Park, at Lorong Chencharu, has a seafood restaurant, a Japanese eatery and facilities for activities such as paintball, fishing and prawn hunting.
It also houses a non-profit organisation called Ground-Up Initiative.
The property will be put up for tender for lease of up to two terms of three years each, for recreational fishing, recreational horticulture, a campsite, adventure training ground, plant nursery, agriculture, and fish- and bird-farm use.
Tenants The Sunday Times spoke to expressed sadness that the place might close.
Ms Lily Chow, managerial assistant of Botoru Ki Japanese Restaurant & Bar, revealed that the three-year-old restaurant had yet to cover its start-up cost of $150,000.
'Business has only started to pick up these few months,' she said.
One of the tenants which will be most affected by the closure is Ground-Up Initiative.
Its founder and self-described 'kampung chief', Mr Tay Lai Hock, said the group, which connects people back to nature through activities such as farming, pays nothing for the use of the land and gets free equipment and labour from the management whenever required.
Yesterday afternoon, families were seen having a good time at the prawn and fishing ponds.
Among them was Mr Victor Yeow, country general manager of International SOS, who was with his wife and two children.
'We should try to keep some of these places,' he said as his son searched for fish in the pond. 'I'm concerned that more and more places like this are going to be taken over.'
