Punggol East container park tenants ordered to vacate by end-October as lease expires
More than 50 tenants at City Sprouts' Punggol East container park must cease operations by 31 Oct 2026, as the land is returned to the Singapore Land Authority. The social enterprise received notice in May and has secured alternative space at Pasir Ris Park, but tenants say the short notice has left
SINGAPORE: More than 50 tenants at Punggol East container park are preparing to leave by the end of next month as the land is returned to the government.
The container park, which is operated by social enterprise City Sprouts, will be handed back to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) upon the expiry of its lease, according to an email from City Sprouts to tenants dated Aug 4. "As the site is required to be reinstated and returned to SLA, we will require all tenants to cease operations by Oct 31, 2026 and hand over their respective premises to City Sprouts by this date," read the email that was seen by CNA.
In response to CNA's queries on Tuesday (Sep 1), City Sprouts, which operates urban farms and is also a tenant at the container park, said it was sent an official notice in May to vacate the site and carry out the necessary reinstatement works within the stipulated timeline. The land has to be returned to SLA by the end of its lease on Dec 31. "We were not given specifics by SLA aside from it being part of redevelopment as part of the Singapore Master Plan for the district," the social enterprise said.
"We were aware of this timeline with each lease renewal, and our tenant partners knew we would not have this site long-term. Despite this, getting notice of the final outcome has also been deeply difficult for us," said City Sprouts. The site at Punggol has become "much more than a place of business", as it was also a space where it built relationships with tenants, farmers, partners, families and the wider community.
City Sprouts has secured a new space at Pasir Ris Park and has offered the Punggol community farmers and partners priority to move in, or to other community greenhouses it operates across Singapore. For F&B outlets, the enterprise said it informed the main operator of an option for businesses to take up stalls at its other locations in the East.
Among those affected is Ms Nurnisa Johnson, who runs Tara na! by Easy Eatz SG, a Halal Filipino food business, with her husband. She was informed on Aug 11 that she had to move out by end-October. Her immediate concern was for her 12 employees, half of whom are foreigners. She has since signed a contract to move into Punggol Golf Driving Range.
Another tenant, Play! Pickle, which provides pickleball lessons and leases out courts in Punggol, Serangoon and Chai Chee, said its Punggol venue is the largest and most frequented by customers. Founder Darren Teo said the notice to vacate the premises ahead of time came as a surprise, and that he intends to operate the Punggol branch until the end of October before concentrating on his remaining two branches.
