Royal Holdings and RB Capital Buy Scotts Square Mall for S$310 Million at S$2,369 psf
Royal Holdings and RB Capital are jointly buying the four-level freehold Scotts Square retail mall for S$310 million, or S$2,369 per square foot on gross floor area. The deal comes in below both the S$380 million guide price this year and the S$450 million sought in 2024.
Purchase Price
psf On Gross Floor Area
Gross Floor Area
Current Net Lettable Area
The Deal
The duo have inked a sale-and-purchase agreement for all the shares in Wharf Estates Singapore, which owns the four-level freehold retail mall in a prime Scotts Road location, just off Orchard Road.
Wharf Estates Singapore, formerly known as Wheelock Properties (Singapore), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Wharf Real Estate Investment Company.
The S$310 million price works out to S$2,369 per square foot based on the gross floor area of 130,875 sq ft. The building’s current net lettable area is nearly 76,660 sq ft. Tenants include FairPrice Finest supermarket, Bang and Olufsen, Vivienne Westwood, Carhartt and Stussy.
The purchase is expected to be completed by year-end. After that happens, the new owners are expected to embark on an overhaul of the mall.
Only Part of the Development
Scotts Square is part of a mixed development that also includes two residential towers, located behind the mall.
The mall accounts for about 43.3 per cent share value in the strata-titled development. The owners of the apartments in the residential towers hold the remaining 56.7 per cent.
The Price Came Down
CBRE brokered the sale. The property consulting group marketed the property in the first half of this year through an expression-of-interest exercise at a guide price of S$380 million, about 15 per cent below the S$450 million sought in 2024.
The eventual S$310 million is below both figures. Last month, The Business Times reported that the duo were in exclusive due diligence for the purchase at a price of about S$320 million, so the final number also came in under that.
Royal Holdings is controlled by Raj Kumar and RB Capital by his son Kishin RK.
Part of a Busy Orchard Area Reshuffle
The transaction is one of several changing hands around Orchard Road this year.
On 31 August, Royal Holdings completed the S$175 million sale of Cuppage Terrace, a row of 17 conservation shophouses off Orchard Road next to The Centrepoint, to Frasers Property.
On 30 July, Wharf Real Estate Investment Company inked a deal to sell Wheelock Place in Orchard Road to Hongkong Land’s Singapore Central Private Real Estate Fund for S$1.1 billion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who bought Scotts Square?
Royal Holdings and RB Capital jointly. Royal Holdings is controlled by Raj Kumar and RB Capital by his son Kishin RK. They signed a sale-and-purchase agreement for all the shares in Wharf Estates Singapore, which owns the mall.
What is the price per square foot?
S$2,369 psf based on the gross floor area of 130,875 sq ft. The current net lettable area is nearly 76,660 sq ft.
Does the sale include the apartments?
No. Scotts Square is a strata-titled mixed development. The mall accounts for about 43.3 per cent share value, while owners of the apartments in the two residential towers behind the mall hold the remaining 56.7 per cent.
What happens to the mall next?
The purchase is expected to be completed by year-end, after which the new owners are expected to embark on an overhaul. Current tenants include FairPrice Finest, Bang and Olufsen, Vivienne Westwood, Carhartt and Stussy.
Looking at the Orchard area?
Ownership changes around Orchard are reshaping what the area will look like in a few years. If you own or are considering a home nearby, I can tell you what is actually confirmed.