Amid cheers from the congregation, City Harvest Church (CHC) yesterday announced that it will pay $310 million to become a co-owner of Suntec Singapore, a prime piece of downtown real estate.
Senior pastor Kong Hee broke the news first at CHC's service at its Jurong West building, then later at another service at the Singapore Expo in Changi.
He said CHC had acquired a 'substantial stake in a consortium company that owns 80 per cent of a joint venture fund that owns Suntec Singapore'.
The complex's full name is Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The $310 million includes the cost of acquiring shares in the consortium, rental costs, renovation costs and others.
Suntec Singapore was acquired by ARA Asset Management through the ARA Harmony Fund last year, with its investors comprising Suntec Reit - which holds 20 per cent - and a consortium company which holds 80 per cent.
----------
The news is out: City Harvest will be moving to its new premises at Suntec Singapore International Exhibition and Convention Centre by 2011.
This has probably been City Harvest Church’s best-kept secret in its 21-year-history. The exact location of the church’s new site has been a hot topic that has kept Christians within and outside the church guessing, since it was confirmed on Jan. 16 that a space had finally been procured after a five-year search.
Bound by a non-disclosure agreement, the management could not say a word until yesterday afternoon, at the first service of the weekend at the Jurong West church.
The revelation of Suntec Singapore International Exhibition and Convention Centre met with great excitement from the church congregation. This location would put all the services of the church under one roof.
“When we were looking for a property, there were three major considerations,” said senior pastor Kong Hee.
1. Size. “It had to be as big as we can go in our small city-state with limited land. Suntec Convention Centre has a total usable area of more than 1 million sq ft—that is 20 times our Jurong West property and 10 times Expo Hall 8. Suntec has the size we need and can accommodate our traffic.”
2. Location. “We wanted a place that was central and easy to get to by MRT and bus. CHC members come from all over the island. Suntec is centrally located with three major MRT stations nearby: City Hall MRT is a 10-minute walk; Esplanade MRT and Promenade MRT open this April and are even closer by.”
3. Facilities. “A church is not just a main sanctuary and nothing else. Having extra facilities is critical to the operations of the church. We need areas for children, rooms for Bible study, car park space and eating places. Suntec Convention Centre has more than 30 meeting rooms, and we will have access to over 8,680 car park lots in the Suntec-Marina area. Between Suntec City and the Convention Centre, there are 283 stalls/restaurants for our members to eat at, and 622 retail stores for our members to shop in.”
Through this agreement, CHC becomes a co-owner of Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and has a share in the annual revenues of all its facilities. The two floors CHC will primarily use are the sixth and seventh floors and include the CHC Auditorium which is column-free and can accommodate up to 12,000 seats. Early plans for this space reveal a stadium-style layout with a sizeable play area for children, and 10 meeting rooms. “All our morning prayer meetings, seminars and conferences will be held here in the future,” explained Kong.
The other parts of the Convention Centre will be open to the public, and will continue to be rented by third parties for exhibitions, fairs and performances as is currently the case.
Tan Ye Peng, deputy senior pastor, explains to City News what co-ownership of Suntec Singapore means. “Last year, ARA Asset Management Limited announced that its ARA Harmony Fund had acquired the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Harmony Fund’s investors comprise Suntec REIT, which holds 20 percent, and a consortium that holds 80 percent. CHC has bought a significant stake into the consortium.”
City Harvest is looking to raise S$310 million, but this sum is not the value of the property, says Tan. “This amount consists of cost of shares; rental; renovation and equipment; professional building, management logistic and maintenance fees; refundable deposits and moving costs.”
One of the key considerations for this site is the business model that CHC can and will adopt for Suntec Singapore. “For Singapore Expo, we are in a lease-only business model. As such, what is being paid out does not have any returns or profit-sharing for CHC. The Board and the Building Committee discussed and concluded that with an ‘ownership-and-lease’ business model, the rent we pay out will be recovered by CHC in the form of profits and dividends.”
“It’s perfect for our church,” says Tan. “This place has everything we need. It’s been around, it’s an established place. It has been the venue for some of the most important events that ever took place in Singapore, like the APEC CEO Summit last November, and the International Monetary Fund-World Bank meeting in 2006. This August it will be the venue for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. It’s got all the facilities, and it’s super convenient. There is no other place that allows us this space size in this part of Singapore.”
In the event that there are such key events on the same scale as the IMF-World Bank meetings, Tan says City Harvest will exercise flexibility and vacate the space for such clients. “We are now part-owners,” he explains. “It benefits us too.” Tan points out that although City Harvest will use the space for its services, the building is still a commercial entity, and technically not a “church building”. “The church will lease the space to use for our services,” explains Tan. “The difference is that we are also co-owners of this building.”
For Chew Eng Han, who was tasked in 2005 to be the key person on the ground to find out what was available, and to speak to consultants and banks, the success of this partnership with Suntec Singapore is a triumph. “I feel fulfilled,” he declares.
The search was far from an easy one. “It required a lot of wisdom,” says Chew. “We needed the right location, central yet big enough, yet it could not be too costly, and it had to earn income, too. At the time we were looking, between 2005 and 2008, construction costs were escalating. When the crash came, property prices came down, but finding a partner became a challenge.”
Suntec Singapore was negotiated at the right time, and agreed upon at the right price, says Chew.
“It’s the best location because it’s already in existence. Although it may have been around for a number of years, the building is continually being refurbished and in good shape. Since we are not buying a new plot of land, we don’t have the risk of escalating costs—building costs fluctuate. The space is great: it totals over 1 million square feet, the hall is big enough, there are more than 30 meeting rooms and we have access to the Gallery space, and also the 600-seat Theatre on weekends.”
“It’s an ideal location for City Harvest, really—but at a much lower price than its original cost.” Suntec Singapore was originally built for a price of S$650 million in the early 1990s.
The best news for the burgeoning congregation may be the fact that with the space already built and available, CHC targets to move in by the end of the first quarter of 2011 once its lease at the Singapore Expo expires.
For some, the announcement brought tears of joy. For others, the location was a complete surprise. (See box story: What The Members Say)
Kong’s wife, singer Sun Ho, flew back to celebrate the announcement together with the church. Moments after the announcement, she tells City News: “I’m standing in a historical moment when miracles have just happened. God has done it again. My heart is overwhelmed, because this is something in which not just Kong and I, but the whole church have sown, labored, prayed, believed and claimed for, for so long. This is the time, this is the moment—we sowed in tears, and now we are really reaping in joy. Above the location, my heart is just so full of gratitude that we are able to build this house for God, for His glory. I’m grateful I can be a part of it.”
The church will fund the S$310 million through freewill donations from churchgoers. The church building fund, Arise & Build, is into its fifth round, with a target of S$17.3 million. There are eight more Arise & Build campaigns planned.
Further information on the design and details of the Suntec Singapore location will be released in the coming weeks.
(Asiaone and Citynews)
Showing posts with label sun ho. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sun ho. Show all posts
07 March 2010
City Harvest Church to co-own Suntec City Singapore!
07 February 2010
Sun Ho attended 52nd Grammys
Why can't all of us just step back and applaude Sun for her achievements in her music, as well as her humanitarian efforts? After all, not many, in fact no one, has broken into the US Market, except her (from Singapore), isn't it? She may not be big in the US yet, but she will. Sun's English Debut Album "Cause a Ruckus" should be officially released after she finishes with her humanitarian work in Haiti.
News in The NewPaper on Sunday (7 Feb 2010) below.
(Sun Ho Grammy Award Pic)
The New Paper
February 07, 2010
DECKED out in a black Rodarte dress complete with striking stockings and Rodarte boots, Singapore singer Sun Ho looked girlish yet gothic.
But, oops, did the 37-year-old mother slip up and accidentally expose the lower part of her right breast? Did that slit across the bodice show too much skin in the wrong place?
The picture, taken by wire agency Reuters, was of Sun walking down the red carpet at the Grammy Awards held on Monday at Los Angeles' Staples Center.
However, in an e-mail interview with The New Paper from New York, where she is currently based, Sun insisted that 'the dress was made that way'.
She good-naturedly added that there was 'no deliberate attempt to create any wardrobe situation'.
'Actually, it's (referring to her get-up) pretty covered up for a red carpet dress.' Sun said. 'I don't think I was in any risk of losing my modesty.'
She had chosen the dress with renowned stylist BAkerlund, who has styled celebrities like Lady Gaga, Madonna and the Black Eyed Peas.
Sun said she loved the leather-and-lace look.
'It very much fits my style, which is a mix of hard and soft,' she said.
The singer added that she had taken all the necessary precautions to 'tape' herself up, in order to prevent a wardrobe disaster.
'There was enough tape stuck on me to make me feel like an art project,' she said. 'I was totally secure.'
However, opinion was divided about her Grammys costume.
US newspaper Orlando Sentinel picked Sun's edgy dress, alongside those worn by big names Beyonce, Rihanna and Taylor Swift, as 'one of the outfits that captured the WOW-'em spirit of the Grammys'.
However, it drew flak from some local netizens.
On popular online communities SgForums and Hardware Zone, while no mention was made of her slip-up, comments on her dress ran the spectrum from 'bad taste', 'too SM (sadomasochistic)' to 'skanky'.
Ick or chic?
Other netizens, however, called her dress 'unique' and 'classy', and said that the singer looked 'pretty and super chic'.
It's not the first time that her sexy fashion choices have met with distaste from her critics.
In November 2003, she raised eyebrows when she wore a daring red Armani gown - with a plunging neckline - to the Hollywood Film Festival in Los Angeles.
At the 2006 Global Music Awards held in Singapore, she was criticised again for turning up in a short grey-black dress that barely covered her buttocks.
Criticisms apart, she is doing well with her music. To date, she is the only Singaporean artiste to have cracked the US market.
This is her third appearance at music's biggest night. She made her Grammy debut in 2004 and attended the event in 2007 as well.
Fancy Free, her catchy dance single released at the end of last year, clinched the top spot on Billboard's Club Breakout charts - which means it was once the most-played new song in clubs all over the US.
Married to Reverend Kong Hee, the founder of City Harvest Church, she is extremely proud of Fancy Free's achievements in the US.
She said: 'I'm very happy to know that deejays and clubbers get my music. It feels good to know that people enjoy dancing to my music.'
Her debut US single Where Did Love Go, produced by David Foster and Peter Rafelson, reached No 1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play Breakout charts in Dec 2003.
Three other singles subsequently also took pole position.
She is also living it up in the US, rubbing shoulders with the superstars.
Besides the Grammys, she also turned up at the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York last November.
'Full of pomp and panache' was how Sun described her experience at the flamboyant event the US lingerie brand has come to be known for.
Then, she was togged out in another all-black ensemble, topped off with a custom-made punk rock jacket.
She said: 'It was a fun show, as one would expect a Victoria's Secret show to be. I sat next to UK singer Jay Sean. It was nice to chat with someone not from the US, who understands how difficult it was to break into the industry here.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun lends helping hand in Haiti
THERE'S Sun Ho the singer. And there's Sun the humanitarian, who goes the extra mile to fix broken spirits.
Despite her hectic schedule, she spent nearly a week in Haiti last month, where she participated in aid efforts for earthquake victims.
She had SMS-ed her close friend, rapper-producer Wyclef Jean, immediately after she heard of the tragedy. Haitian-born Jean, 37, started Yele Haiti, a grassroots movement to build global awareness for Haiti and has already raised millions for the victims.
According to Sun, he was 'on the ground in Haiti the day after the quake'.
'I was heartbroken because I knew how much he loved his country and his people,' she continued. 'I told him I was going to try to pull something together in terms of relief aid.'
She soon connected the CityCare team - a voluntary organisation based in Singapore - with her contacts in the US. Together, they worked to take supplies and medical help to Haiti.
She said: 'I'm quite a hands-on person in everything I do... I also wanted to be there to personally thank and support the doctors, nurses and relief workers who responded to CityCare's callfor aid.
' I felt that they deserved more than just a phone call from me.'
Sun recalled seeing a woman who had huge gashes on her face. She said: '(They) were infected, swollen and infested with maggots because of a lack of treatment.
'When I spoke with her at the CityCare medical base, she carried herself with such dignity even though she must have been going through so much pain both physically and mentally. It was horrifying and inspiring at the same time.'
DECKED out in a black Rodarte dress complete with striking stockings and Rodarte boots, Singapore singer Sun Ho looked girlish yet gothic.
But, oops, did the 37-year-old mother slip up and accidentally expose the lower part of her right breast? Did that slit across the bodice show too much skin in the wrong place?
The picture, taken by wire agency Reuters, was of Sun walking down the red carpet at the Grammy Awards held on Monday at Los Angeles' Staples Center.
However, in an e-mail interview with The New Paper from New York, where she is currently based, Sun insisted that 'the dress was made that way'.
She good-naturedly added that there was 'no deliberate attempt to create any wardrobe situation'.
'Actually, it's (referring to her get-up) pretty covered up for a red carpet dress.' Sun said. 'I don't think I was in any risk of losing my modesty.'
She had chosen the dress with renowned stylist BAkerlund, who has styled celebrities like Lady Gaga, Madonna and the Black Eyed Peas.
Sun said she loved the leather-and-lace look.
'It very much fits my style, which is a mix of hard and soft,' she said.
The singer added that she had taken all the necessary precautions to 'tape' herself up, in order to prevent a wardrobe disaster.
'There was enough tape stuck on me to make me feel like an art project,' she said. 'I was totally secure.'
However, opinion was divided about her Grammys costume.
US newspaper Orlando Sentinel picked Sun's edgy dress, alongside those worn by big names Beyonce, Rihanna and Taylor Swift, as 'one of the outfits that captured the WOW-'em spirit of the Grammys'.
However, it drew flak from some local netizens.
On popular online communities SgForums and Hardware Zone, while no mention was made of her slip-up, comments on her dress ran the spectrum from 'bad taste', 'too SM (sadomasochistic)' to 'skanky'.
Ick or chic?
Other netizens, however, called her dress 'unique' and 'classy', and said that the singer looked 'pretty and super chic'.
It's not the first time that her sexy fashion choices have met with distaste from her critics.
In November 2003, she raised eyebrows when she wore a daring red Armani gown - with a plunging neckline - to the Hollywood Film Festival in Los Angeles.
At the 2006 Global Music Awards held in Singapore, she was criticised again for turning up in a short grey-black dress that barely covered her buttocks.
Criticisms apart, she is doing well with her music. To date, she is the only Singaporean artiste to have cracked the US market.
This is her third appearance at music's biggest night. She made her Grammy debut in 2004 and attended the event in 2007 as well.
Fancy Free, her catchy dance single released at the end of last year, clinched the top spot on Billboard's Club Breakout charts - which means it was once the most-played new song in clubs all over the US.
Married to Reverend Kong Hee, the founder of City Harvest Church, she is extremely proud of Fancy Free's achievements in the US.
She said: 'I'm very happy to know that deejays and clubbers get my music. It feels good to know that people enjoy dancing to my music.'
Her debut US single Where Did Love Go, produced by David Foster and Peter Rafelson, reached No 1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play Breakout charts in Dec 2003.
Three other singles subsequently also took pole position.
She is also living it up in the US, rubbing shoulders with the superstars.
Besides the Grammys, she also turned up at the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York last November.
'Full of pomp and panache' was how Sun described her experience at the flamboyant event the US lingerie brand has come to be known for.
Then, she was togged out in another all-black ensemble, topped off with a custom-made punk rock jacket.
She said: 'It was a fun show, as one would expect a Victoria's Secret show to be. I sat next to UK singer Jay Sean. It was nice to chat with someone not from the US, who understands how difficult it was to break into the industry here.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun lends helping hand in Haiti
THERE'S Sun Ho the singer. And there's Sun the humanitarian, who goes the extra mile to fix broken spirits.
Despite her hectic schedule, she spent nearly a week in Haiti last month, where she participated in aid efforts for earthquake victims.
She had SMS-ed her close friend, rapper-producer Wyclef Jean, immediately after she heard of the tragedy. Haitian-born Jean, 37, started Yele Haiti, a grassroots movement to build global awareness for Haiti and has already raised millions for the victims.
According to Sun, he was 'on the ground in Haiti the day after the quake'.
'I was heartbroken because I knew how much he loved his country and his people,' she continued. 'I told him I was going to try to pull something together in terms of relief aid.'
She soon connected the CityCare team - a voluntary organisation based in Singapore - with her contacts in the US. Together, they worked to take supplies and medical help to Haiti.
She said: 'I'm quite a hands-on person in everything I do... I also wanted to be there to personally thank and support the doctors, nurses and relief workers who responded to CityCare's callfor aid.
' I felt that they deserved more than just a phone call from me.'
Sun recalled seeing a woman who had huge gashes on her face. She said: '(They) were infected, swollen and infested with maggots because of a lack of treatment.
'When I spoke with her at the CityCare medical base, she carried herself with such dignity even though she must have been going through so much pain both physically and mentally. It was horrifying and inspiring at the same time.'
(The Electric Newpaper)
27 September 2009
信心旅行 ORIGINAL KTV
The original KTV version of the song 信心旅行, not the version for the typhoon disaster fund raising.
JJ filmed in Singapore while Sun Ho filmed in the US.
林俊傑, 何耀珊 [信心旅行] ORIGINAL KTV
MTV is so-so, but the song is really nice.
19 September 2009
Sun Ho - Fancy Free MTV Debut & Live Chat on Facebook
SUN HO's Fancy Free MTV all the way below!
Sun Ho 何耀珊 has finally launched her English Debut Single Fancy Free internationally.
However, her single is only available to USA at the moment, Asia fans still have to wait.
Sun's full English Debut comprising of 12 songs, 10 fast numbers and 2 ballads, will be released by next year.
Being the ever funky one, Sun hosted a "live" chat with her fans on Facebook today at 11pm, and since I was at home, I tuned in to have a look.
I must say Sun is looking fabulous!
If you missed her live chat on Facebook, there you go!
In the mean time, enjoy the MTV of Fancy Free!!!
25 August 2009
信心旅行MTV (JJ林俊傑, Sun何耀珊)
Finally the MTV for this song is out!
Song composed to encourage the latest Taiwan Disaster Victims...
04 July 2009
JJ Lin Junjie duets with Sun Ho (信心旅途 - 何耀珊 / 林俊杰)
Latest Duet 信心旅途 by JJ Lin Junjie and Sun Ho.
Beautiful song....
收拾我所有的行李
那沉默把希望反击
和星星一起旅行
这次要学习不逃避
会给我所有的恐惧
勇敢的走下去
幸福在这一瞬间
慢慢累积
伤口慢慢正开放
不用担心
感谢有你 一路有你
风雨信心
多么不容易
你我之间的默契
一点一点
堆积美好的回忆 我会牢记
感谢有你 一路有你
爱让一切变得更美丽
收拾我所有的行李
那沉默把希望反击
和星星一起旅行
这次要学习不逃避
会给我所有的恐惧
勇敢的走下去
幸福在这一瞬间
幸福就在这一瞬间
伤痛慢慢正开放
不用担心
感谢有你 一路有你
风雨信心
多么不容易
你我之间的默契
一点一点 累积美好的回忆
我会牢记
感谢有你 一路有你
爱 让一切变得更美丽
伤害我会忘记
明天我会继续
梦想必定不要放弃
只要心向心
爱就永远不拘系
幸福在这一瞬间
幸福就在这一瞬间
伤痛慢慢正开放
不用担心
感谢有你 一路有你
风雨信心
多么不容易
你我之间的默契
一点一点 累积美好的回忆
我会牢记
感谢有你 一路有你
爱 让一切变得更美丽
感谢有你 一路有你
爱 让一切变得更美丽
31 May 2009
Sun Ho Yeow Sun on 8days!
*Updates 2:
Sun will be on the cover of the July issue of Elle Magazine too!
-------------------
Updates:
Sun is also on the cover of i Weekly this week!
--------------------------
I don't know about you guys, but I love Sun Ho, and I am not ashamed to say this.
I applaude her for:
1) Her courage to carry on her singing career despite the many criticisms!
2) Her unwavering love for humanitarian work, especially those she has done in China, donating all her album royalties to building schools there!
3) Putting Singapore on the World Music Map, by breaking into Hollywood and topping the Billboard Charts!
Get your copy of 8days this week!
Sun is also on the cover of i Weekly this week!
--------------------------
I don't know about you guys, but I love Sun Ho, and I am not ashamed to say this.
I applaude her for:
1) Her courage to carry on her singing career despite the many criticisms!
2) Her unwavering love for humanitarian work, especially those she has done in China, donating all her album royalties to building schools there!
3) Putting Singapore on the World Music Map, by breaking into Hollywood and topping the Billboard Charts!
Get your copy of 8days this week!
And in case you have missed this:
Sun practising dance in LA with renowned choreographer Marty Kudelka, who has worked with Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and N'Sync.
Singaporeans should cut Sun some slack, and give her an opportunity to be an ordinary singer!
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