Tag Archives: City Developments Ltd (CDL)

Copthorne Orchid to go ahead with condo plans

Posted on 28 Feb 2010 | Comments Off on Copthorne Orchid to go ahead with condo plans

Tenants had heard it before: The Copthorne Orchid Hotel would be torn down for a condominium.

So there was a sense of deja vu when they learnt from reading The Straits Times last Monday that the 440-room hotel in Dunearn Road would go.

In 2005, City Developments Ltd (CDL) had said it planned to turn the hotel’s site into a condominium. But that did not happen.

CDL owns hotelier Millennium & Copthorne (M&C), which operates the Copthorne Orchid Hotel.

But its latest announcement seems to be for real. A CDL spokesman told The Sunday Times it wants to launch the condominium project as early as this July.

The property developer has not decided on a firm date to put the 150 units of the project on sale as it ‘had just obtained provisional permission to redevelop’.

Depending on how well the condominium sells and existing tenancy obligations, the building may be torn down only next year or later.

M&C held back its plans in 2005 ‘as there was a projected shortage of hotel rooms’, its spokesman said.

But its recent announcement was not good news to its tenants – one of which has been leasing space in the hotel for 35 years.

Madam Anne Lee, 52, owner of Anne Salon, was upset that the hotel withheld such important information as she renewed her lease just three months ago.

‘They must tell us so we can start looking for another landlord,’ said Madam Lee, who has been running her salon there since 1975.

Nice Express, which operates its Singapore-Kuala Lumpur express bus service from the hotel, was also not informed about the plans.

Mr Charles Lawrence, 56, operations and sales supervisor at Nice’s Singapore office, said: ‘I do not know whether to move or stay.’

This comes at a bad time for Nice as it spent $100,000 last year to renovate its office at the hotel.

When asked why tenants were not informed, an M&C spokesman said: ‘We have not sent out any notices as there is no firm date yet.

‘The terms of the tenancy agreement contain a three-month notice clause. We have sufficient time on hand to serve proper and timely notice to all our tenants.’

Source : Sunday Times – 28 Feb 2010

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CDL plans to start $2.5b mega project next year

Posted on 26 Feb 2010 | Comments Off on CDL plans to start $2.5b mega project next year

CITY Developments (CDL) is aiming to start building its landmark $2.5 billion South Beach project in Beach Road next year, said its boss Kwek Leng Beng yesterday.

An artist’s impression of CDL’s South Beach project which will feature an ‘environmental filter’ canopy. — PHOTO: CITY DEVELOPMENTS

Mr Kwek gave an update on the project – shelved in late 2008, owing to high construction costs, then slated for a start this year – as he unveiled a far- better-than-expected 77 per cent surge in fourth quarter net profits for CDL.

He brushed aside financial worries over the mega project, which is set to boast offices, luxury hotels, retail space and residences when completed in 2016.

CDL bought the site in 2007 jointly with Dubai World and El-Ad Group, which have since been hit by debt woes.

Mr Kwek, the executive chairman, said: ‘We cannot presume that the two partners have no money. If the two partners have no money, then their share will be diluted,’ he said, of the Dubai partners.

Hong Kong’s Nan Fung group emerged as a new investor in the project last June under a refinancing exercise.

‘The verbal understanding with Nan Fung is that both of us will put in more money if so required,’ Mr Kwek said.

CDL’s net profit for the three months ended Dec 31 shot up 77 per cent to $176.7 million, as the group booked profits in projects such as Cliveden at Grange, The Arte and One Shenton.

That beat the average estimate of six analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires of $129 million. Fourth quarter revenue rose 28.6 per cent to $922.4 million.

‘The global economic recovery is better than expected,’ he said, adding that prospects were good for the residential, hospitality and commercial sectors.

Full-year earnings rose 2.1 per cent to $593.4 million, on the back of better income from strong property prices.

Last year also marked the group’s highest ever revenue of $3.27 billion, up 11.1 per cent, and second highest profit since its inception in 1963. It expects to stay profitable over the next 12 months.

Mr Kwek said that the firm will continue to focus on the local market, capitalising on its land bank and experience – but said China is promising.

‘That is not to say that we will never go abroad… But why would we want to go in a big way at the moment when I still believe that we can make a lot of money in Singapore. We know Singapore best, can read the trends better and are here most of the time,’ he said.

CDL expects sentiment among genuine buyers to remain strong despite recent government measures to cool speculation in the property market.

Full-year earnings per share were 63.8 cents, up from 62.5 cents a year earlier. Net asset value per share rose to $6.57 as at Dec 31, from $5.97.

The group is recommending a dividend of eight cents a share, up from 7.5 cents the previous year. CDL shares rose two cents yesterday to close at $10.34.

OCBC Investment Research analyst Foo Sze Ming said he expects CDL to deliver strong earnings this year, underpinned by its sold residential projects last year – The Gale, Volari and Hundred Trees – that have yet to book in profits.

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