Commercial property owners will get to vote on joining scheme to rejuvenate districts in S’pore

SINGAPORE – Commercial property owners in some areas will get the chance to vote on whether to join a scheme to liven up their districts.

And if such a Business Improvement District (BID) is formed, it will collect fees from all eligible owners in the area to fund programmes that inject some buzz.

This will ensure that such districts remain sustainable and address concerns over “free riders”, who want to enjoy the benefits but do not want to contribute their fair share, said National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat on Sept 12.

Under the pilot BID programme, commercial property owners and businesses take collective ownership of the precincts they operate in by pooling funds for marketing, hospitality and events. But at present, fees can be collected only from owners who agree to participate in the BID.

The plan is for commercial property owners to propose a suitable BID boundary and fee arrangement with stakeholders before taking it to a vote.

More details will be shared in due course, said Mr Chee, who was giving an update on the programme at the launch of the Singapore River Festival at UOB Plaza.

He had announced in August that his ministry will propose new legislation to formalise the BID model, following a successful pilot by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) that has been ongoing since 2017.

URA previously said in August that the Government is aiming to enact the BID legislation within the next two years.

Singapore River One (SRO), which organised the Singapore River Festival, is the URA’s first pilot BID. The other three active BIDs are in Marina Central, Tanjong Pagar and Raffles Place.

A BID for Marina Bay, called the Marina Bay Alliance, operated from January 2020 to December 2023.

Mr Chee noted that SRO has been organising large-scale events such as the Singapore River Festival and St Patrick’s Street Festival, which have drawn large crowds and increased sales for local businesses.

SRO, which covers Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay, also rallied food and beverage operators to run an anti-touting campaign.

“Through these efforts, SRO has demonstrated that ground-up organisations can activate and manage public spaces meaningfully, to the benefit of both businesses and our community,” said the minister.

Mr Chee said recent nightlife revitalisation efforts in areas around the Singapore River were due to such private-public partnerships.

He pointed out that SRO had offered to step up private security deployments in the area, which gave government agencies the assurance to ease restrictions within their boundary.

For example, the authorities have allowed businesses to submit proposals for new bars, pubs and nightclubs along the Boat Quay waterfront area after a 16-year pause. URA has received 20 such applications for the historic district since Aug 18, which are being evaluated, Mr Chee said.

Businesses in the Boat Quay and Clarke Quay area can also apply for extension of liquor licences till 4am on Thursdays and Fridays.

Mr Chee said the authorities welcome more of such collaborative efforts with the private sector.

“These partnerships will make our districts livelier and more vibrant, where businesses can benefit from more footfall, and communities can enjoy more lifestyle options and place-making activities,” he added.

Currently under the pilot, the Government will match every membership dollar raised dollar-for-dollar, up to a cap of $500,000 per annum.

SRO executive director Michelle Koh said that with the move to require all eligible owners under a BID to pay fees to fund rejuvenation plans, the organisation can be more ambitious with its plans.

Of the 71 commercial property owners in the area, 70 per cent have agreed to be in the BID, she said, meaning only these owners are currently required to pay fees.

“We can plan long term, but the big question is how will we be able to pay for that? With the legislation, there will be more certainty,” she said.