Co-living and wellness spaces set to transform former MHA and British spy HQ site in Tanglin

SINGAPORE – Once housing the headquarters of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Britain’s spy agency, the historic Phoenix Park site in Tanglin is set to become a new lifestyle destination with wellness and food and beverage offerings by the first quarter of 2027.

The 610,000 sq ft plot at 300 to 320 Tanglin Road – the size of eight football fields – will feature wellness amenities such as fitness studios and spa retreats, F&B and retail spaces, as well as serviced apartments. With over 700 keys, it would be Singapore’s largest co-living cluster.

The development is led by TS Home, which will manage the site and co-living business with co-living operator The Assembly Place (TAP) and two minority partners in a joint venture. TAP has a 39 per cent stake in the joint entity.

The fully-integrated “live-work-wellness” ecosystem developed will pay “respectful homage to Phoenix Park’s heritage architecture while breathing new life into the site for the next generation of urban residents”, TAP said in a release.

There are 33 heritage black-and-white buildings from the colonial era spread across the site, including low-rise buildings and a cluster of black-and-white bungalows.

The bungalows will be targeted primarily at foreign students, capitalising on a growing demand for accommodation from this segment, as well as young professionals seeking co-living spaces, TAP chief executive officer Eugene Lim told The Straits Times.

The low-rise buildings will be repurposed as serviced apartments, which may appeal to travellers, particularly those who come to Singapore for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) events, he added.

Phoenix Park is one of the few black-and-white bungalow estates managed by the Singapore Land Agency (SLA).

It was built in 1949 by the British government to house its colonial administration offices, including the Security Intelligence Far East, the regional headquarters of British intelligence agency MI5.

The complex was handed over to the Singapore Government after independence, and subsequently became home to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Internal Security Department from 1977 to 2001.

The central building they occupied was designated a historic site by the National Heritage Board in 2012, as was Phoenix Park itself. Hence TS Home is only allowed to repurpose existing buildings and facilities, and cannot build additional structures.

In its Facebook post in April, SLA said that it had envisioned rejuvenating the historical hill-top site into “a distinctive enclave with expanded lifestyle and community offerings”.

The site was previously managed by LHN, the parent company of Coliwoo, another co-living operator, and featured several eateries.

The company currently operates a mixed-development co-living concept in the old Bukit Timah Fire Station compound, another historical landmark.

SLA awarded Phoenix Park’s tenure to TS Home for five years at $404,888 a month from October 2026, with the possibility of a four-year extension. This works out to around $4.9 million annually.

The company is a subsidiary of foreign worker dormitory operator TS Group.

One of the leading co-living operators in Singapore, TAP operates more than 3,400 keys across 100 property assets. The Phoenix Park development will add 700 additional keys to its target of 10,000 keys in its portfolio by 2030. 

In addition to seniors and foreign healthcare workers, TAP’s brands also cater to young professionals and students. It also operates three hotels in Singapore and Malaysia.

As part of its “community-driven stays” offering, TAP organises regular events and workshops to foster a sense of community among residents.

The Phoenix Park development would also be the second time that the company is managing retail alongside its co-living business, having made its foray into the sector with Serene Centre, a mixed residential-retail development in Bukit Timah.

Curation of retail and F&B businesses at the Phoenix Park development would be key, said Lim. “We want our commercial tenants to be a part of the community and strive together with us, and hope to bring value to the residents.”

Lim said the Phoenix Park site offers the company the opportunity to redefine community living in Singapore, drawing from its experience in repurposing other properties, including residential buildings, shophouses and school compounds.

“We have always believed that where people live should actively support how they feel, how they connect, and how they thrive.”

TS Home and TAP previously collaborated on TAP’s two other community living properties: an intergenerational co-living space for youth and seniors called Commune on Henderson, and a cluster of hostels for foreign healthcare workers.

TS Home’s chief operating officer Oh Boon Shi said: “Our partnership with TAP has always been rooted in a shared belief that thoughtfully designed communities can transform lives. Phoenix Park represents the fullest expression of that shared mission.

“With this historic site, we are committed to delivering a vibrant community living destination for our residents, but one that will also attract both local and international visitors seeking unique lifestyle and wellness experiences.”

Shares of Catalist-listed TAP briefly dropped 2.2 per cent when the market opened on June 4, before paring gains. It closed at 23 cents, 2.2 per cent lower.