The incremental evolution of Orchard Road continues as the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launches a tender for the redevelopment of the former Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS) grounds at 37 Emerald Hill.
It is the latest site along the prime shopping belt that the government, along with private owners and developers, is looking to redevelop as part of a broader push to transform Orchard Road into more than a shopping street.
For decades, Orchard Road has been the premier retail corridor in Singapore, flanked by flagship retail shops and concept stores by global luxury brands. But the appeal of the shopping street must change in the present age of online shopping, experiential malls, and the need for differentiated experiences.
The tender for the former SCGS grounds invites proposals to transform the historic site into a mixed-use development. STB specifically names new-to-market hotel concepts and first-of-its-kind lifestyle experiences as part of the ideal concept proposal.
Here’s what you need to know about the tender, and what this overlooked Orchard Road site could turn into.
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What’s Going On Along Orchard Road?
For years, the government has signalled that the Orchard Road area needed to go beyond its current appeal as a premier shopping belt, into a mixed-use lifestyle destination that goes beyond offering upmarket retail options.
I think this is a good call in light of the changing retail environment. I also think that there are only so many luxury retail and concept stores selling designer bags and clothes that you can walk past, before wondering whether you should have just gone to your much-closer heartland mall.
The broad masterplan for Orchard Road sees the entire shopping belt as distinct sub-precincts, with each having different positioning. The Somerset area, where the SCGS grounds are located, is in the Somerset sub-precinct which has been earmarked as a youth-centric locale.
Several changes are expected to land in Somerset in the coming years. One of the most significant is the new Live! @ 313, a new live entertainment development that will be anchored by a Live Nation music hall.
Meanwhile, Singapore-based co-living operator JustCo is turning the former OG Orchard into a co-living and co-working development, with a three-storey retail podium. Likewise, Frasers Property recently bought Cuppage Terrace for $175 million in August this year. The developer already owns the neighbouring properties at The Centrepoint and 51 Cuppage Road, so its future plans will likely integrate all three properties.
All of these new developments set the stage for the Concept and Price Revenue tender of 37 Emerald Hill. The site was previously leased to Chatsworth International School, who operated its Orchard Campus there until 2020.
Taken together, the upcoming developments and the opportunity to reposition 37 Emerald Hill build on a unique strength along this stretch of Orchard Road. From my perspective, Emerald Hill and Cuppage Road are among the few parts of Orchard with true “hangout spots,” that go beyond shopping.
Why Is 37 Emerald Hill A Promising Site For This?
To start, the site is close to Somerset MRT station on the North-South Line, and is about a 10 minute walk away. This means it’s not only near The Centrepoint, but also just across the road from Orchard Central and 313@Somerset. It’s an established and frequented retail cluster, familiar to shoppers and visitors to Orchard Road.
This site also occupies an interesting niche between Orchard Road’s main commercial activity, and Emerald Hill’s heritage surroundings, and STB identifies this meeting point between Somerset and the conservation area as a key attribute of the location.
I think the new site, regardless of its eventual positioning, will receive foot traffic on par with the other popular stretch of the shopping belt at Tanglin and Orchard (the Ion Orchard area and beyond) while offering a differentiated setting.
That distinction could be valuable for the hotel component, since it brings a genuine touch of local culture along with the retail and lifestyle experience.
Design Orchard - a joint venture by STB, JTC, and Enterprise Singapore - is also in the vicinity. This is a retail showcase, design incubator, and public community space, and one meant to showcase homegrown brands. It offers a natural complement to any new-to-market hotel brand that lands there.
The 1.04-hectare site is also large enough for events, exhibitions, or other related activities. Depending on the eventual proposal, having these in the conserved buildings could add more reasons to visit Orchard Road besides shopping.
Technical Details Of The Tender
STB is offering the site through a Concept and Price Revenue tender, which launched on 16 September 2026, with the deadline for submissions on 16 March 2027. Both local and international bidders can participate.
| Site Area | 10,414.8 sqm (approx. 112,103 sq ft) |
| Zoning | Hospitality + Commercial |
| Lease | 50 years, with an option to extend for another 20 years, subject to terms and conditions |
| GFA | 16,664 sqm (approx. 179,370 sq ft) |
| Examples of allowable commercial uses | Restaurants, bars/pubs, outdoor refreshment areas, shops, fitness centres, gyms and medical clinics |
| Uses explicitly excluded | Residential uses, offices, serviced apartments and schools |
Beyond these parameters, STB’s brief calls for a distinctive hotel concept, a heritage-sensitive development, and an accessible public space with year-round programming.
Why This Site Is Also Historically Important
It’s likely that proposed uses for the site will take inspiration from or refer to its history, which would play to the strengths of a heritage area - not to mention, to persuade STB and the relevant bodies at the proposal stage.
The site became well known in Singapore when SCGS occupied the grounds from 1925 until its move to its campus on Dunearn Road in 1994. The school on the Emerald Hill grounds was founded in 1899 and pioneered education for Straits-born Chinese girls. This was a very progressive approach at the time, and challenged then-common notions that girls didn’t need schooling outside the home.
Three buildings were gazetted for conservation in 2019. The Main Block dates to 1925, the Principal’s House to 1930, and the Song Ong Siang Block to 1956 (this was named after one of the school’s founders). Interestingly, the school grounds were not originally included when Emerald Hill was gazetted for conservation in 1989; it was former students who successfully campaigned to preserve the campus.
The wider Emerald Hill district was an enclave for wealthy Chinese and Peranakan families, with the terrace houses and shophouses along Emerald Hill Road that still define its character. It’s probably the next best known example of Peranakan-style residential homes in Singapore besides Katong in the East Coast area.
The location of 37 Emerald Hill is just right for what URA wants to see: the Orchard Road precinct with more reasons to visit and hang around, besides just designer brands.
That said though, a lot will depend on developing comfortable walking routes, and programmes that blend well with what we already see at Cuppage Road. The quieter residential streets will also need consideration, as visitor numbers grow.
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