A pre-war bungalow on a sprawling freehold site at 8 Lornie Road has been launched for sale via private treaty at $82 million, or $1,586 psf. According to a title search, the property belongs to the estate of Singaporean real estate magnate Chng Gim Huat, who passed away last August at the age of 90.
The pre-war house dates back to 1937. It was a part two-storey, part single-storey bungalow, and bears many of the original architectural features, including a portico where Chng’s Rolls-Royce remains parked. An outhouse on the property once served as helpers’ quarters.
The main house has a large living and dining area and a kitchen on the first floor. Upstairs, there were originally just three bedrooms: a master suite and two bedrooms sharing a common bathroom.
The water feature and koi pond at the side of the house (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
Built for an extended family
Chng is believed to have purchased the property in the 1970s from the late Kwek Hong Png, founder of Hong Leong Group. Kwek was also the father of City Developments Ltd (CDL) executive chairman Kwek Leng Beng and grandfather of group CEO Sherman Kwek.
After purchasing the house at 8 Lornie Road, Chng renovated it before moving in with his family. Over the years, the family grew to include five sons and two daughters.
“In the early years, all five sons shared one room and the two daughters shared the other,” recalls Alex Chng, one of Chng’s sons.
In the 1990s, the second floor was extended to add two more bedrooms, while the ground floor was expanded to include a new office suite for the family’s investment holding company, Chng Gim Huat (CGH) Holdings.
“We used to gather in my dad’s office in the evenings to discuss business,” says Alex, who started his career as a stockbroker before joining the family business, where he handled business development as well as marketing and sales for the various property developments.
The first residential project developed by CGH Development was the 44-unit Chapel Lodge, completed in 1994 (Source: Google Street View)
Property developer, hotelier and investor
Chng was a consummate real estate developer, hotelier and investor.
Through CGH Development, Chng developed three boutique apartment and condo blocks in the east. The maiden project was the 44-unit Chapel Lodge, completed in 1994. The freehold boutique condo on Lorong Stangee is located off East Coast Road and Still Road in District 15.
The second development was the 44-unit Dengfu Ville in Kampong Eunos, off Sims Avenue East in District 14. The freehold project was completed in 2007.
The last residential project developed by CGH Development was the 72-unit Esta Ruby, completed in 2012 (Source: Google Street View)
The third and final residential development was Esta Ruby, a 72-unit freehold apartment block completed in 2012. The project is located along Guillemard Road, just off Tanjong Katong Road in District 14.
Chng also ventured into industrial property development with Paya Ubi Industrial Park. The multiple-user, strata-titled factory has 300 units, with a 60-year lease from 1997. It is situated within a B1 light industrial zone in Ubi Avenue 1, and has around 300 strata-titled factory units.
Paya Ubi Industrial Park, a multiple-user strata-titled factory complex at Ubi Avenue 1 developed by CGH Development (File photo taken in 2002/The Edge Singapore)
Since its launch in 1998, most of the units there have been sold. The developer still has 20 remaining units, which are also available for sale.
Chng is also a long-term investor in listed companies. As of March 2025, his estate holds 5.77 million shares (1.29%) in Hong Leong Finance, ranking it among the company’s top 20 shareholders. Through Chng Gim Huat Holdings, his estate also holds 27.711 million shares (3.72%) in Hotel Grand Central, making it one of the company’s largest shareholders.
Completed in 2000, Orchard Grand Court on Killiney Road is CGH Group’s flagship hospitality project and has 200 serviced apartments (Source: Orchard Grand Court website)
Hospitality milestones
In 1997, Chng acquired the freehold site on Killiney Road, off River Valley Road. The new development, Orchard Grand Court, was completed in 2000 and has about 200 serviced apartments. The project became the flagship of Chng’s hospitality business and the headquarters of the CGH Group.
Following its success, CGH Group bid for and won a hotel site at Tras Link in Tanjong Pagar, through a government land sale. CGH Group’s bid for the hotel site in Tanjong Pagar was $97.07 million. The group invested an additional $70 million to develop the 272-room Orchid Hotel into a business hotel, which opened in 2011.
CGH Group developed the 272-room Orchid Hotel into a business hotel, which opened in 2011 (Source: Orchid Hotel website)
According to Alex, both Orchard Grand Court and Orchid Hotel are managed by CGH Group. “Since the pandemic, the serviced apartments have been enjoying high occupancy of 98%,” he observes. “The hotel is also seeing a recovery in occupancy rates.”
The living room of the home at 8 Lornie Road, which has a portrait of Chng Gim Huat (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
Family legacy
The house is filled with memories of the three generations of the Chng family. Photographs of Alex’s parents, siblings, and their children adorn the walls.
Another main feature of the house is the expansive garden dotted with fruit trees such as avocado, durian, longan, pomelo, mango, and starfruit.
As children, Alex and his siblings had wanted a swimming pool. “My dad promised to build us one,” he recounts. Instead, they got a water feature with a koi pond.
8 Lornie Road is believed to be the last and largest bungalow plot along that stretch of Lornie Road, located within prime District 11 (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
The patriarch also wanted his sons to live nearby. In 1987, he acquired a neighbouring bungalow plot and redeveloped it into two pairs of semi-detached houses for four of his sons.
In 2018, Alex bought another adjacent semi-detached house to live near his family. A side gate connects the family’s homes.
Rear garden of 8 Lornie Road, which sits on a sprawling freehold plot of 51,700 sq ft (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
Rare redevelopment opportunity in prime District 11
Over the years, many bungalow plots along Lornie Road have been sold and redeveloped. One such plot at 14 Lornie Road became Lornie 18, a cluster housing project with 18 strata-titled detached houses completed in 2009 by Clydesbuilt Group.
With most of the area redeveloped, 8 Lornie Road is now believed to be the last and largest bungalow plot remaining along that stretch of Lornie Road, located within prime District 11.
Dayna Ang, senior manager of capital markets at Knight Frank Singapore, is marketing the property. She notes that the 51,700 sq ft site offers significant redevelopment potential and could be subdivided into six detached houses or 16 semi-detached houses, subject to approval.
Knight Frank’s Ang notes that the site could be subdivided into six detached houses or 16 semi-detached houses, subject to approval (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
It may also appeal to high-net-worth individuals. “Some may want to build two bungalows for a multi-generational family,” says Ang. “The land size and frontage are ideal.”
With the Chng family patriarch’s passing, the estate is now being sold, and the proceeds will be distributed among his five sons and a grandson.
Nonetheless, Alex hopes the next owner will value the home’s historical significance, which dates back to 1937.
