Former infectious diseases centre put up for use as lifestyle hub

Tender launched for site on a short-term tenancy as it is currently zoned for residential use

- Ng Keng Gene

Once a place for the treatment of patients with infectious diseases such as smallpox, tuberculosis and Aids, the former Middleton Hospital and Communicable Disease Centre could soon house pickleball courts, cafes and art galleries.

A tender for the 91,541.27 sq m site in Moulmein Road to be used as a lifestyle hub on a short-term tenancy was launched on May 28 by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).

Approved uses for the site include office spaces, serviced apartments, spa and wellness facilities, and urban farming plots. It is currently zoned for residential use.

Of the site's 44 buildings, 23 have been safeguarded for potential conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), and will be subject to addition and alteration guidelines from the authority. This is to ensure the retention of their character and key architectural elements and features.

The other 21 buildings cannot be demolished, but will not be subjected to the addition and alteration guidelines.

SLA said that the site "served as a pivotal institution in Singapore's healthcare history for over a century". It was established in 1913 as an infectious diseases hospital and named the Middleton Hospital in 1920 after Dr William Robert Colvin Middleton, a public health advocate.

Of the 12,978.88 sq m of gross floor area across the site's buildings, a maximum of 3,893.66 sq m or about 30 per cent can be used for retail or food and beverage purposes, or both.

The SLA said in a press release that it envisions 2 Moulmein Road to be "a dynamic lifestyle hub with offerings that will cater to families and multi-generation communities".