CPF Building sold for S$550m to Ascendas Land company

CPF Building sold for S$550m to Ascendas Land company
The public tender for the sale of the building attracted three bids, the highest of which was by Southernwood Property, a company wholly owned by Ascendas Land.

POSTED: 26 Nov 2015 12:26 UPDATED: 26 Nov 2015 23:37

SINGAPORE: The landmark CPF Building at 79 Robinson Road has been sold for a higher-than-expected S$550 million, the CPF Board announced on Thursday (Nov 26).

The public tender for the sale of the building attracted three bids, the highest of which was by Southernwood Property, a company wholly owned by Ascendas Land.

Ascendas plans to redevelop CPF Building into an office building with supporting retail elements, said Mr Manohar Khiatani, President & Group CEO of Ascendas and Deputy Group CEO of Ascendas-Singbridge.

"With the CPF Building, Ascendas would be able to offer quality CBD office space to complement our business park offerings to our customers in Singapore,” he added.

BID PRICE HIGHER THAN EXPECTED

Analysts had expected the building to fetch about S$450 million.

The CPF Board said the bid from Southernwood Property met all tender criteria, "including the strength of their financial standing and purchase conditions such as the assignment of tenancies to the new owner".

The other two bids were S$538.28 million by Leapford, a company owned by Pacific Century Regional Developments, and S$280 million by OUE Reef Development.

The CPF Board will be moving to Novena Square Towers “to free up prime office space in the Central Business District for higher-value uses”. Its corporate operations relocated on Nov 23.

The CPF Service Centre will continue to operate at 79 Robinson Road until further notice.

- CNA/dl

- wong chee tat :)