Archive for category: Misc

Prinsep Street, located near the Bugis and Rochor areas, is a bustling and vibrant street that connects to Selegie Road via a unique teardrop-shaped roundabout. One of the main attractions on this street is the two adjacent conservation shophouses at 64 and 66 Prinsep Street, owned by Kuvera Properties, which are separated by a rare side courtyard that runs the length of No. 64.

According to Arjan Chotrani, founder and director of Kuvera Properties, the side courtyard is a unique feature for a shophouse and is something that the owner can be proud of. The courtyard was previously an open street that allowed cars and bikes to pass through, but it was closed off several years ago due to frequent accidents. Arjan purchased the two properties in February 2007 for a total of $4 million, according to a lodged caveat. The roundabout, along with Selegie Arts Centre on one side and the row of shophouses on the other, make for a lively and bustling arts-and-culture precinct in the area.

The ground floor of 66 Prinsep Street is currently tenanted to Rex Mackenzie, a well-known restaurant that specializes in halal Chinese chicken rice. The first outlet was founded in 1966 as Rex Restaurant and Milk Bar on Mackenzie Road, and when it moved to Prinsep Street in 1986, the second-generation owner Roldy Koh added “Mackenzie” to the name to pay homage to its origins. Arjan fondly recalls the original Rex Cinema, which opened in 1946 and quickly became a landmark in the area. It was also one of the few cinemas in Singapore that screened Hindi films, which were popular with Arjan’s parents. Today, Rex Mackenzie is a popular spot for both locals and tourists, with a diverse clientele that includes visitors from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the rest of Asia.

Next door at 64 Prinsep Street, the ground floor houses Chix Hot Chicken, a trendy Nashville-style fried chicken restaurant founded by singer-turned-entrepreneur Taufik Batisah and his partners Bober Ismail and Zad. Opened in February 2025, the restaurant features a vibrant and modern interior with neon lights, pop art, and upbeat music. Glass doors open out to the side garden, providing alfresco dining options for customers. The walls adjoining the courtyard were removed to create a spacious 100-seat indoor dining area, along with a coffee counter operated by Penny University. The previous tenant of this space was a hotpot restaurant.

The upper level of 64 Prinsep Street has seen a variety of tenants, including a successful board-game café, which eventually bought its own shophouse on Prinsep Street. Kuvera Properties then used the space as its office until Arjan decided to move the office elsewhere. A specialty coffee joint took over the space, but it was one of the casualties of the pandemic. Today, the second level is home to Bunnyside Basement, an arcade for serious rhythm-game enthusiasts founded by Runze Zhang, a full-time NUS student. Runze purchased the machines, such as Sega’s MaiMai DX and Gitadora series by Konami, from Japan. The arcade opens from the afternoon till late to cater to working adults, some of whom compete in these games internationally.

Rewritten:

With the growth and development of the eastern corridor, the local community can expect to see positive changes that will greatly benefit them. These changes include signal optimization on major roads, enhanced pedestrian crossings near transportation hubs, and improved cycling infrastructure throughout the district. Additionally, the ongoing development of the Cross Island Line will help alleviate peak hour traffic, providing even more efficient commuting options for residents of Coastal Cabana. To learn more about the exceptional living experience offered at Coastal Cabana Qingjian, visit our website.

Prinsep Street is a lively and bustling street that comes alive at night, with an assortment of bars, restaurants, and cafés that attract both students and professionals. The area is surrounded by various tertiary institutions such as Singapore Management University (SMU), LaSalle College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa), School of the Arts (Sota) and the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS). It is also a hub for the arts, with establishments such as The Foundry and the former Catholic High School campus being converted into new arts centres. Additionally, the wedge-shaped Selegie Arts Centre, a conserved three-storey Art Deco landmark with colourful windows, adds to the vibrant arts-and-culture precinct in the area.

Nearby, developments such as One Sophia and The Collective at One Sophia, which are being built on the former Peace Centre and Peace Mansion sites respectively, will also contribute to the lively and vibrant atmosphere on Prinsep Street. The project offers a mix of strata office and retail units at One Sophia and 367 apartments at The Collective at One Sophia. Other notable developments in the area include Hotel Mi Rochor and a 502-room hotel that is being built on the former Min Yuan Apartments site.

After holding the two Prinsep Street shophouses for over 18 years, Arjan has decided to divest the properties and invest elsewhere. The shophouses have been put up for sale by expression of interest (EOI) through exclusive marketing agent Jeffrey Sim, advisory group division director at ERA Realty Network. The EOI will close on Oct 22.

The two properties, 64 and 66 Prinsep Street, which sit on a 5,942 sq ft site and have a total built-up area of 8,842 sq ft, will be sold collectively. Both buildings have a 99-year lease that commenced in November 1995, giving them a remaining lease of 69 years. The indicative price starts from $26 million, or $2,941 psf based on the built-up area. Both buildings will be sold with tenancies in place until October 2027. Overall, shophouses in the area are well sought after, and the most recent transaction in the area was for a two-storey shophouse at 52A Prinsep Place, which was sold for $4.12 million in November 2024.

With its prime location near various institutions and exciting developments, Prinsep Street offers both investors and business owners an excellent opportunity to be a part of the vibrant arts-and-culture precinct.