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Singapore Sports Hub
January 24, 2008
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The Singapore Government announced recently that it has selected the Singapore Sports Hub Consortium or SSHC led by Dragages Singapore Pte Ltd as the preferred bidder for the Singapore Sports Hub Public-Private-Partnership project. Making the announcement at a media conference, Minister for Community Development Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said: the government was pleased to announce the selection as the Consortium displayed significant strengths in programming, team culture and partnership, functionality and layout. He added that it also offered the best value for money solution for Singapore. To find out more about the Consortium’s bid, I spoke to Oon Jin Teik, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Sports Council.
OJT: SSHC, when they submitted the bid, they were very much focusing on the project objectives and the design outcomes that Singapore Sports Council set for them and we felt they were very much aligned with our vision of getting a fully integrated sports, entertainment and lifestyle hub for everyone in Singapore. And the objectives were three things which Singapore Sports Hub consortium met quite well in coming up with an integrated lifestyle hub for world class sports and entertainment events, having a commercially viable business model and helping us create a national and global landmark. We felt that SSHC showed some significant strength primarily in the programming and events, team culture and partnership and design and operational functionality. And also they offered the best value for money solution for Singapore.
On the subject of a best value for money solution, could you give us some details about it?
OJT: Sure. The best way to look at it is SSHC came up with a comprehensive proposal that looked at how programming and events can lead this whole strategy. They then look at the design from an aesthetics and functional angle to be able to host and to operate these events and to deliver these programming objectives. And also they had a very sound financial solution that helps to re-invest money back into it. The best value for money solution that we saw was that the net present value for the 25 years tenure of this project amounted to Singapore dollars 1.87 billion dollars. It may sound like quite a hefty sum at the beginning. But actually if you look at the scope by which the total cost entails is quite thrilling for us because it very positive. It helps to cover all the capital expenditure on all the construction, the National Stadium, the multi-purpose arena, the commercial space, water sports centre, all the commercial developments, infrastructure, roads and so on, including covering any potential cost increases. The Singapore government is insulated from any cost increases. The scope also entails all maintenance costs, in the entire 25 years for all the facilities, and it also includes all the operating expenses running all the venues for the entire 25 years, including costs to bring in, organizing and managing events, manpower costs, operating costs like utilities and marketing costs. So these are cost elements. But as I mentioned at the start, they focus on delivering the objectives for the Singapore government. And we saw some very tangible returns on the investments.
Could you describe the details about some of the designs and facilities in store?
OJT: Yes. I think this particular consortium came up with a particular view of how this design is done. And I think they truly focused and integrated this design with the programming strategy. We saw very much a potential for Singapore to achieve some iconic status, both from an aesthetic angle and how it looks, the kind of design, details that have been put into to. Even more importantly, we also saw the functional angle that is so important for major stadiums in the world to ensure that there is the ability to host different type of events, and that for Singapore is so key, by virtue of who we are. SSHC design allows us to be flexible, allows scalability, quick turnaround, to adapt to any program that comes in. Beyond that all the other facilities that have the capability to host multi-functional areas can be successful and effective in hosting many other programming that we wanted. We have to remember that this particular sports hub project is for Singaporeans. The Singapore Sports Hub, we wanted this to position Singapore to compete in the global sense. And position ourselves as a preferred venue for sports and entertainment events.
That was Oon Jin Teik, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Sports Council ending this week’s Singapore Scene. For Radio Singapore International, I’m Mubin Sa’adat.
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