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ARC 380 Review

ARC 380 Review
Commercial Property Review — District 8

ARC 380

Freehold strata office and retail landmark at the Jalan Besar–Lavender junction

SGCPI Research Desk Updated 23 August 2026 380 Jalan Besar, Singapore 209000 FREEHOLD

Street-level view of ARC 380, 380 Jalan Besar. Imagery: Google Street View (user-contributed imagery), accessed August 2026.

Project Overview

Building NameARC 380
Address380 Jalan Besar, Singapore 209000
DistrictDistrict 8 (Jalan Besar / Kallang)
TenureFreehold
Zoning / UseCommercial — strata office & retail/F&B
Built Form16 storeys — 12-storey office tower over a 4-storey retail/parking podium
Land Area / GFA≈4,558 sqm land / ≈13,675 sqm GFA
Completion Year2018
Nearest MRTBendemeer (DT23), Farrer Park (NE8)
Key Road AccessCentral Expressway (CTE), Pan-Island Expressway (PIE)
Transacted PSF RangeS$2,744 – S$3,800 psf
Sale Price Range≈S$1.9M – S$3.9M (small-to-mid units)
Asking Rent RangeS$7.00 – S$7.80 psf/month
Occupier BaseWeWork, G4S Security, SME offices, F&B and retail operators

Location & Connectivity

ARC 380 sits at the highly visible junction of Jalan Besar and Lavender Street in District 8, a fringe-CBD pocket that has quietly become one of Singapore’s more resilient commercial micro-markets. The building’s curved glass form is hard to miss from either approach road, and its position places it within a short walk of Little India, Farrer Park and the Kallang Basin precinct, giving tenants a working address that reads as central without carrying prime-CBD rents.

Connectivity is a genuine strength of the address. Bendemeer MRT station on the Downtown Line is roughly a five-minute walk away, while Farrer Park (North East Line), Boon Keng and Lavender stations are all within a two-minute drive, giving occupiers four stations across two lines within easy reach. Motorists benefit from quick access to both the Central Expressway and the Pan-Island Expressway, which puts the Central Business District, Marina Bay and the eastern corridor within a short and predictable drive.

The immediate surrounds mix everyday amenities with institutional anchors. City Square Mall, Aperia Mall and Jalan Besar Plaza cover retail and dining needs, while Fairprice, Cold Storage and Don Don Donki handle daily groceries. The nearby Connexion medical hub and the broader Kallang Basin sports precinct add further daytime and evening footfall that benefits ground-floor F&B and retail units.

Location of ARC 380. Map data: Google Maps, accessed August 2026.

Building & Facilities

Completed in 2018 by Tong Eng Group, ARC 380 rises 16 storeys in a distinctive curved-glass form that earned it recognition at the 2019 FIABCI Singapore and Asia Property Awards. The tower’s curtain wall uses heat-strengthened, low-emissivity double-glazed glass, which keeps solar heat gain and street noise down while maximising daylight across the column-free, regular office floor plates — a specification that reads as genuinely above-average for a strata building of this vintage.

Communal facilities are generous for a strata commercial asset. Cantilevered sky terraces sit on every office floor, offering informal breakout space with panoramic views owing to the building’s arc-shaped massing. A fourth-storey sky terrace adds barbecue facilities, and the rooftop houses a swimming pool and gym — amenities more common to premium office campuses than mid-sized strata buildings. At ground level, a basement food court and retail frontage along both entrances give the building genuine round-the-clock activity.

Buyers should still conduct standard due diligence before committing: verify the current MCST budget and sinking fund position, confirm the permitted use schedule against URA’s approved use, and check car park entitlement, since the building’s ≈82 lots are shared across 167 strata units and can constrain occupiers expecting dedicated parking.

Unit Types & Floor Plan Notes

ARC 380 offers a genuinely mixed unit stack across 144 office units and 23 retail/F&B units, spanning small entry-level quantums through to full-floor office plates. The four profiles below reflect the range most frequently seen in resale and rental listings.

Retail / F&B — Entry

≈312 – 450 sqft

Ground-floor shop and kiosk-format units suited to specialty F&B, beauty or convenience retail, benefiting from direct frontage at either the Jalan Besar or Lavender Street entrance.

Retail / F&B — Standard

≈700 – 1,033 sqft

Larger ground-level or basement food court-adjacent units, well suited to full restaurant operations, clinics or larger-format retail requiring back-of-house space.

Office — Compact

≈700 – 1,000 sqft

The most liquid office quantum in the building, column-free with full-height glazing, typically taken up by small professional practices, tech teams and boutique agencies.

Office — Full Floor

≈9,500 sqft

Whole-floor plates on the higher levels, offering regular column-free layouts and sky terrace access — suited to corporate occupiers or investors seeking a single large tenant.

Ceiling height (office): ≈2.8m, typical for the building’s 2018 office grade
Floor loading: ≈5 kN/m², standard commercial office specification
Facade: Low-E double-glazed curtain wall, heat-strengthened laminated glass
Lifts: Dedicated office and retail lift lobbies, both linked to the multi-storey car park
Car park: ≈82 lots including 2 handicap lots, shared across the strata development

Investment Case

ARC 380’s investment case rests substantially on its tenure and zoning. As a freehold, purely commercial-zoned asset, it sits outside the residential cooling-measure framework entirely, which meaningfully simplifies the ownership calculus for both local and foreign buyers.

What Works

  • Freehold tenure is genuinely scarce for fringe-CBD commercial stock, supporting long-term capital preservation.
  • No ABSD, no SSD and no foreign ownership restrictions, keeping entry and exit costs efficient.
  • Above-average building specification — sky terraces, rooftop pool and gym — for a strata commercial asset.
  • Strong multi-line MRT access via Bendemeer and Farrer Park, plus quick CTE/PIE reach.
  • Diversified income base across office, F&B and retail reduces single-sector vacancy risk.

What to Weigh Carefully

  • Strata car park supply is limited relative to unit count, which can affect tenant appeal for some businesses.
  • MCST fees and any future sinking fund calls should be verified directly rather than assumed.
  • Fringe-CBD commercial rents remain more rate-sensitive than prime CBD grade-A stock in a downturn.
  • Resale liquidity for larger full-floor quantums is thinner than for the compact office and retail units.
  • Being a young freehold strata building, en-bloc consolidation is not a realistic near-term catalyst.

Who This Suits

ARC 380 is best suited to owner-occupier SMEs and professional practices that want a freehold, fringe-CBD address without prime-CBD pricing, and to investors seeking a diversified, cooling-measure-free commercial holding. Smaller compact office and retail/F&B units offer the most accessible entry quantum and the deepest resale and leasing pool, while full-floor plates suit corporate occupiers or investors comfortable underwriting a single-tenant strategy. Foreign investors in particular may find the combination of freehold tenure, zero ABSD/SSD exposure and no ownership restrictions a meaningfully simpler proposition than a residential purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ARC 380 zoned for, and what businesses can operate there?
ARC 380 is zoned commercial under URA, with the podium and basement levels approved for retail and F&B use and the tower levels approved for office use. This means office units can house professional services, consultancies, tech teams, agencies and corporate back-offices, while ground-floor and basement units can operate as restaurants, cafés, beauty services, clinics or general retail. Manufacturing, heavy processing or residential use are not permitted. Buyers should check the specific unit’s approved use on URA SPACE or with the MCST before purchase, since individual unit permissions can occasionally be narrower than the building’s overall zoning envelope.
Are there restrictions on foreign buyers purchasing a unit at ARC 380?
No. Because ARC 380 is zoned commercial rather than residential, it falls outside the Residential Property Act, so foreign individuals and foreign-owned entities can purchase strata office or retail units here without needing government approval. This is one of the clearer advantages commercial property holds over residential property for overseas investors, who otherwise face restrictions on landed housing and stamp duty on residential purchases. Foreign buyers should still budget for legal, financing and structuring costs, and consider whether a Singapore-incorporated entity offers tax or estate-planning benefits.
Does Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) apply to a purchase at ARC 380?
No. ABSD is levied only on residential property purchases in Singapore, and ARC 380 is a fully commercial-zoned development. Buyers, whether Singapore citizens, permanent residents, foreigners or entities, do not pay ABSD on office or retail units here, regardless of how many other properties they already own. This is a meaningful structural advantage over residential investment, where ABSD rates can reach very high percentages for second properties or foreign buyers. Standard Buyer’s Stamp Duty still applies on a tiered basis and should be factored into the acquisition budget.
Is Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) payable if I sell my unit within a few years?
No, SSD does not apply to commercial property in Singapore, only to residential property sold within the holding periods set by the government. An owner at ARC 380 can therefore sell a strata office or retail unit at any point after purchase without incurring SSD, regardless of how quickly the sale takes place. This gives investors materially more flexibility to respond to market conditions or portfolio rebalancing than a residential asset bought within the SSD window would allow. Buyer’s Stamp Duty on the incoming purchaser and any capital gains matters remain separate points worth checking with a tax advisor.
How much Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) will I pay on a purchase here?
BSD applies to commercial property on the same tiered percentage basis as residential property, calculated on the higher of the purchase price or market value. Broadly, the duty is charged in increasing bands as the price rises, so a compact ≈700 sqft office unit priced around ≈S$2.0 million will incur meaningfully less BSD in absolute terms than a full-floor ≈9,500 sqft plate priced well into eight figures. BSD is payable regardless of buyer nationality or entity type, and is a one-time cost due shortly after exercising the option to purchase. Buyers should have their solicitor confirm the exact computation before completion.
Does GST apply when buying or renting a unit at ARC 380?
GST treatment depends on the seller’s or landlord’s registration status rather than the property type. If the seller is GST-registered, GST is generally chargeable on the sale price, whereas non-registered individual owners typically do not charge GST. Rental income from commercial units is subject to GST if the landlord is GST-registered, which is common for larger corporate landlords but less so for individual strata owners below the threshold. Buyers and tenants should clarify GST treatment with the seller or landlord before finalising pricing.
How does freehold tenure affect financing compared with a leasehold commercial property?
Freehold tenure generally gives ARC 380 an advantage in financing terms relative to ageing leasehold commercial stock, since banks are not concerned with remaining lease decay affecting the collateral value over the loan tenure. Leasehold commercial properties with fewer than roughly 60 years remaining often see reduced loan quantum and shorter maximum tenures, which can materially affect an investor’s cash flow. At ARC 380, financing instead hinges on standard commercial lending criteria: loan-to-value ratios for non-residential property, the buyer’s debt servicing profile, and whether the purchase is made personally or through a company, which can affect the rate offered.
What rental yield can an investor realistically expect at ARC 380?
Based on current asking rents of ≈S$7.00 to S$7.80 psf per month against transacted prices in the ≈S$2,744 to S$3,800 psf range, gross yields for compact office and retail units at ARC 380 broadly work out to roughly 2.5% to 3.3% per annum before deducting MCST fees, property tax and any vacancy periods. This sits within the typical band for fringe-CBD strata commercial property, generally above prime CBD grade-A office yields but below some suburban or industrial strata benchmarks. Actual yield varies by floor level, unit size and use, so investors should underwrite using unit-specific comparables rather than headline averages.
How does the building’s age affect a purchase decision today?
Completed in 2018, ARC 380 is a relatively young building by Singapore commercial standards, meaning major mechanical, electrical and facade systems should still be well within their design life, and the sinking fund is likely still building toward its first major cyclical repainting or facade maintenance cycle rather than facing it immediately. This generally translates into lower near-term capital expenditure risk than an older strata building might carry. Buyers should still request the MCST’s latest maintenance and sinking fund accounts to confirm reserve adequacy, since even a young building can face unexpected costs like lift servicing or curtain wall sealant renewal.
What are the odds of ARC 380 being redeveloped or going en-bloc?
En-bloc redevelopment is not a realistic near-term prospect for ARC 380. The building is freehold and only completed in 2018, so there is no leasehold decay pressure pushing owners toward a collective sale, and the development is still well within its economic and physical service life. En-bloc sales are also procedurally demanding, requiring consent from a high percentage of both share value and strata area, harder to achieve across a 167-unit mixed office-retail development with diverse owners. Investors should view ARC 380 as a hold-and-lease or hold-and-occupy asset rather than an en-bloc play.
What should I know about parking and loading facilities before buying or renting?
ARC 380 has a multi-storey car park with approximately 82 lots, including 2 handicap lots, linked directly to both the office and retail lift lobbies. This is a workable but not generous ratio against 167 strata units, so businesses with heavy client or staff parking needs should confirm season parking availability directly with building management rather than assume it. Loading for F&B and retail tenants is typically managed through designated bays near the podium, and larger deliveries may need scheduling outside peak hours. Prospective tenants running delivery-heavy F&B concepts should walk the loading arrangement in person before committing to a lease.
What are typical MCST maintenance fees at ARC 380, and what do they cover?
Published per-unit MCST figures are not publicly listed, but strata commercial buildings of similar specification and age in the fringe-CBD typically charge in the region of ≈S$0.55 to S$0.75 psf per month, covering common area cleaning, lift maintenance, security, facade and sky terrace upkeep, and contributions to the sinking fund for major cyclical works. Given ARC 380’s extensive shared facilities — sky terraces, a rooftop pool and gym, and a basement food court — fees may sit toward the higher end of that range. Buyers should request the latest MCST budget and sinking fund statement before purchase to confirm the actual figure.
How liquid is the resale market for units at ARC 380?
Resale liquidity at ARC 380 is reasonably healthy for the compact office and smaller retail quantums, which see regular transaction activity in the ≈S$2,744 to S$3,800 psf range and appeal to a broad pool of owner-occupier SMEs and small investors. Liquidity thins for larger and full-floor units, which need a buyer with a bigger capital base or a single-tenant strategy, so marketing periods can run longer. Freehold tenure and the absence of ABSD/SSD generally support a wider buyer pool than an equivalent leasehold asset, a structural positive for exit flexibility.
What types of businesses are best suited to a unit at ARC 380?
The compact office floors suit professional services firms, technology teams, design studios, consultancies and regional back-office functions that value a column-free, well-lit space with sky terrace breakout areas at a fringe-CBD address. The ground-floor and basement retail and F&B units suit food operators, cafés, beauty services and convenience retail that can draw on the building’s own office population plus commuter footfall. Full-floor plates suit a single corporate occupier seeking a branded standalone presence, or an investor targeting a long-lease tenant over a fragmented multi-tenant strategy.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal or investment advice. Figures marked with “≈” are estimates based on publicly available benchmarks and should be independently verified before any transaction decision. Property prices, rents and yields are subject to change and past performance is not indicative of future results. Prospective buyers and tenants should conduct their own due diligence and consult qualified professionals, including licensed property agents, lawyers and financial advisors, before making any purchase, lease or investment decision.

© 2026 SG Commercial Property Insights. All rights reserved.

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