Marina Square closure: Tenants say they were surprised by short notice

A manager at Sharewow, who also declined to be named, said they also learnt of the news through messages from customers and online news articles on Tuesday morning.

“I only heard rumours about a few weeks ago,” he said, adding that he did not hear about the March 2027 timeline.

The 3D figurine printing shop opened in Marina Square in 2024. The employee did not know what would happen to the shop’s existing lease after March 2027, or what they plan to do after it lapses.

“The only thing that we feel the pain is, we did the renovations. The renovation is expensive and it only lasted three years. That’s the thing that hits the hardest,” he said.

In response to queries about what would happen to the leases that run beyond March 2027, a SingLand spokesperson said it has communicated its redevelopment plans to the tenants and will work closely with them throughout the transition period.

“We value the relationships we have built with our tenants and are committed to ensuring a fair and considerate process,” the spokesperson said, adding that it remains business as usual at Marina Square.

“Beyond providing the requisite notice, we will engage tenants on the timeline and next steps, including matters relating to the reinstatement of their premises, so they can plan ahead.”

The team will continue to curate marketing initiatives, events and partnerships to drive shopper footfall and support retail sales during the transition period, said the spokesperson, noting that the mall will celebrate its 40th anniversary leading up to March 2027.

MOVING OUT

The owner of Coco Veggie Nyonya Cuisine, who only wanted to be known as Mr Gan, told CNA his lease ends in March.

He plans to find another outlet in another mall, he said, adding that other malls already started approaching him when news of the area’s redevelopment first broke two years ago.

His restaurant started as a stall in Koufu in 2019. After the food court closed in 2020, the management offered him a larger unit for a restaurant and he has operated there since.

“I didn’t feel much. No matter where you open a shop in Singapore, it doesn’t last long. After your three-year lease is up, landlords will always raise your rent. So I wouldn’t be hopeful about staying in one spot for a long time,” said Mr Gan.

An employee at The Toy Folks, who declined to be named, said the team is considering moving elsewhere, but is still in the process of finding out the cost of rent at other malls.

The book and toy store, which has another outlet at Forum The Shopping Mall, opened at Marina Square about five years ago, she said.

With many shops and attractions catered to families and children, which form most of their customer base, footfall is high on weekends, she said, when asked about why Marina Square was an ideal location for the shop.

Online orders have picked up recently so the decision to move to another mall is still uncertain, she said, adding that with one fewer outlet, the team might cut down on the number of shifts.

“Actually we heard that they want to rebuild the mall sometime back, but we didn’t expect that it would be this fast,” she said.

Mr Wayne Yap, the manager of Synwin Violins’ Marina Square outlet, already knew that the area would be redeveloped, but did not expect the whole mall to undergo a complete rejuvenation affecting all tenants.

“I always thought we would not be affected. In the end, when we (found out we) would be affected after all, we did feel a bit surprised,” he said.

The manager described the shop, which opened in the mall in 2009, as one of its anchor tenants. Many tenants were secretly hoping they would not be affected, Mr Yap added.

“When we moved in in 2009, it was a very revolutionary move for a violin shop. My dream was to come to a place where people would not expect a violin shop,” he added.

While the shop has proven to be a “valuable asset” to Marina Square, well-known in the music community, the decision to rejuvenate the mall is bigger than that, he added.

“I have been preparing for this day … Everything has a start and an end … So when the day finally came, now it’s a real test of whether I’m prepared for it,” said Mr Yap.

Like other tenants, he started receiving concerned messages from customers about what would happen to the shop on Tuesday morning.

While he also feels a sense of loss, Mr Yap said he achieved what he set out to do. “On a personal level, I’m quite happy, I’m quite satisfied,” he added.

“Community-wise, we served for 15 years, gave them a good place to shop to buy instruments. They are quite happy with us. I think some of them will feel sad at least.”

In the current business climate, Synwin Violins is more likely to move to another unit that is not located in a mall, said Mr Yap. “We will probably find a place that we don’t have to worry about renewing the lease and less pressure on rental.”