Springleaf Tower was completed in 2002. Firms involved in the development include CapitaLand Commercial Limited, CapitaLand Limited, Benson Global, and DTZ Debenham Tie Leung (South East Asia) Private Limited.
However, the Springleaf Tower's construction was not smooth. In the late 1990s, the developer of the building, a subsidiary of the now defunct Ban Hin Leong Group, ran into financial problems. It was unable to pay its contractors for the completion of the 37-storey building. This led to the UOB Case.[7]
UOB Case
The Ban Hin Leong Group suggested that one of the contractors, Yongnam Holdings, purchase a floor, and that it set off the value of its work against the sale price of the floor. It was agreed to by United Overseas Bank (UOB), who was the mortgagee.[7]
However, after Yongnam completed the work, UOB refused to release its mortgage. UOB said that it did not encourage or endorse the barter arrangement and later foreclosed on the building. Yongnam then sued UOB to protect its interest. UOB subsequently lost the case, and was asked to cede ownership of the floor to Yongnam.[7]
Building sale
Twelve floors in Springleaf Tower were sold in January 2007 for S$134 million, bought by Macquarie Global Property Advisors. Just a few months later, in October 2007, the same twelve floors were sold again, at $225 million. This equates an increase of almost 70 percent. It was bought by SEB Asset Management, part of SEB Group.[8]
Cabinet fire
On 31 January 2008, there was a fire at Han's restaurant and the tenants at Springleaf Tower were all asked to evacuate their offices. The Singapore Civil Defence Force sent two fire engines, two fire bikes, three support vehicles, one ambulance and one red Rhino to the scene. In total, about 300 occupants of the building were evacuated. It was soon found that a cabinet in the restaurant started the fire.[9]
