Remaking for more varied offerings

Efforts are once again under way to rejuvenate the Gillman Barracks precinct. The Singapore Land Authority announced plans last week to upgrade the infrastructure of the former military barracks and introduce more F&B and lifestyle concepts. Upgrading works, costing about $2 million, are set to be completed early next year.

Gillman was reinvented as a cluster for upscale art galleries in 2012 by the National Arts Council, the Economic Development Board, and JTC Corporation. Despite the fanfare with 13 pedigreed galleries setting up shop at its launch, there were mutterings in the arts industry and a distinct lack of interest among Singaporeans. Arts insiders wondered why so much money and effort was being poured into building a cluster from scratch when there was already a small group of arts businesses that had seeded itself organically at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Gillman was also dogged by logistical challenges, from parking charges and inadequate public transport connectivity to a lack of walkways and signages, as well as a dearth of eateries, making the place unwelcoming for pedestrians. Over the years, attempts were made to address these concerns.

Rejuvenation plans for the 6.6ha site provide a fresh opportunity for Gillman to remake its identity, not as a purely arts enclave but an arts-inflected lifestyle destination. With plans under way to develop the Labrador Nature Park belt and Build-To-Order flats coming up in the Greater Southern Waterfront, Gillman is perfectly positioned as a honeypot for nature lovers, cyclists, runners and families. That the area was not similarly earmarked for housing, for which it could have fetched higher economic value, also reflects a welcome determination by the authorities to carve out areas and work at finding the right mix of activities that cater to the increasingly varied lifestyle aspirations of residents.