BT : Call for land tenders that go beyond price

Business Times - 20 Aug 2010

Call for land tenders that go beyond price

Extending dual-envelope tenders will encourage innovative design and architecture: focus group

By KALPANA RASHIWALA

(SINGAPORE) Singapore may have a greener tinge and a vastly more interesting skyline, if the suggestions contained in the final reports by two focus groups for Concept Plan 2011 see the light of day.

There is, for example, a call to review the land tender system to create an 'inspiring global and Asian city'.

'By setting land price as the main or only criteria in evaluating tender submissions, we are not putting sufficient value on good architecture, which can contribute significantly to building a distinctive, innovative and interesting city skyline,' said the report of the focus group on Quality of Life.

It proposes extending the government's dual-envelope tender system, currently used for selected major development sites like Capitol Theatre, to more state land tender projects to 'signal the government's support for more innovative design concepts and architecture'. Under this system, concept proposals are first evaluated against a specified set of criteria and only those meeting these conditions will be considered. The site will then be awarded to the party with the highest bid price among those with acceptable concept proposals.

Some market watchers reckon that most state sites will still be awarded on price, except for plots with unique value or other important considerations. Having a design-based competition adds costs to tenderers especially when there will be only one winning bid. 'The better solution for such unique sites is the government should establish what it considers the land price that it is prepared to sell the land for, and all bidders will then focus on design, concept or whatever other criteria are set - rather than have to second guess the land price,' says Knight Frank chairman Tan Tiong Cheng.

The focus group also suggests that to deepen the sense of community, the government should consider the social merits of proposals when evaluating tender submissions for selected state land and properties. 'These evaluation criteria could include whether the proposal takes into account community, elderly or youth-related amenities and needs or whether they are from VWOs and NGOs. Such a move would send a positive signal to the private sector on the priorities of our society and help inculcate a greater consciousness of the issues,' the report said.

Other suggestions made by the focus groups include tax rebates for owners of buildings achieving Green Mark Platinum or GoldPlus standards and setting up a 'neutral zone' around places of worship in heritage areas and historic districts where pubs and lounges are not allowed. There is also a suggestion for more affordable rental apartments for young adults.

The focus group also says towns should be designed to evolve with residents' changing needs and respond to lifecycles of HDB estates. 'Instead of redeveloping estates entirely, we should continue to retain some empty plots...for future development so that estates can evolve and be rejuvenated over time,' the report said. For now, these plots could be kept as open spaces for people to simply 'stretch out', and the community could be given more say on their best use.

DTZ executive director Ong Choon Fah says this approach will ensure such land is not left idle. 'Land can be used not just for commercial purpose, but there's also value when you use it for social purpose; it adds value to the quality of life if people have more places to go to to relax, to bond. Perhaps you'll have less crime and stress and so ultimately there'll be economic benefits - although you may not be able to measure the commercial benefits of such an approach,' she said.

Another proposal from the focus groups is a need to facilitate ageing in familiar surroundings. HDB flats could be built in a modular fashion so walls can be easily knocked down for two or three units to be joined to cater to changes to household sizes at different stages of a family lifecycle. For elders who prefer independent living options, retirement housing communities near existing residential estates are recommended.

The focus group on Sustainability and Identity recommends that the Green Mark Scheme be expanded to cover the entire lifecycle of a building - from design and planning, to construction, operation and maintenance. Developers and owners are required to document the materials and resources used throughout a building's lifespan.

At construction stage, the extraction, processing and transport of raw materials should be assessed carefully so that these are carried out in an environmentally sustainable manner that inflicts minimal damage to the physical and natural environments. 'We should use locally-obtained, recyled and renewable resources where possible to reduce the need for transportation of materials, thereby also reducing Singapore's carbon footprint,' says the report.

A City Developments spokeswoman said: 'Perhaps the government can consider introducing incentives to encourage the industry to reuse and recycle natural resources, which can also help minimise construction and demolition waste going into our landfills.'



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