Punggol East Container Park tenants face sudden exit

Some are worried about their employees, while others lament an early closure

More than 50 tenants at the Punggol East Container Park are packing their bags by the end of Oct as the land is returned to the government.

The beloved hangout spot, which houses an eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, sports facilities and even a prawning pond, is operated by social enterprise City Sprouts.

According to Channel News Asia (CNA), tenants were upset by the news, with some worried about their employees and others lamenting an early closure.

The container park will be handed back to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) upon expiry of its lease on Dec 31, an email from City Sprouts to tenants dated Aug 4 indicated.

“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.

City Sprouts said that it was sent an official notice in May to vacate the site and carry out the necessary reinstatement works within the stipulated timeline.

“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 added.

SLA said that the tenancy cannot be extended as the site is required for future residential redevelopment.

“Much more than a place of business”

For City Sprouts, the Punggol site became much more than a commercial space. Over the years, it built relationships with its tenants, farmers, partners, families and the wider community.

“We are heartbroken to leave a place that we have spent so much time and energy building together with everyone who has been part of it. We understand the disappointment and uncertainty this creates for our tenants, and we share that disappointment,” said City Sprouts.

Some businesses have spent years building a loyal customer base at the site.

Kim Kao Mai Thai, for instance, has operated there for nine years, with about 90% of its customers coming from the northeast. Moving elsewhere would mean starting from scratch and rebuilding its customer base.

The sudden closure has also left other tenants worried about their employees and livelihoods.

Smok Hous founder Isrudy Shaik opened his outlet last November, hoping to sign a three-year lease. His biggest concern now is finding a new place while keeping his nine full-time staff.

Tara Na! by Easy Eatz co-founder Nurnisa Jonson has 12 employees, half of whom are foreigners. “How can I find a place within two months? That’s the most stressful days we’ve had,” she said.

City Sprouts has secured a new site at Pasir Ris Park and said farmers and partners from the Punggol community will be given priority to relocate there or to one of its other community greenhouses across Singapore.

Affected F&B operators may also have the option of taking up stalls at City Sprouts’ other locations in the East, after the organisation said it had informed the main operator of the arrangement.

Besides Punggol, City Sprouts operates green spaces in Pasir Ris, Henderson, West Coast and Bedok.

• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

Featured Image Credit: Google Reviews/ Hai Bin Prawning