Katong Village stays put for another year as tender fails to draw bids
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The site is fronted by the 24-hour Old Hong Kong teahouse, located in a conserved police station facing East Coast Road. The 8,239 sq m, 99-year leasehold land is slated for redevelopment into a hotel. The 11 tenants at Katong Village were given notice to leave and seven have done so. However, operator Excalibur Leisure has now been offered a one-year extension by the Singapore Land Authority. -- ST PHOTOS: RAJ NADARAJAN
- ST PHOTOS: RAJ NADARAJAN
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An interior view of a largely abandoned Katong Village, the buildings of which date back to the 1920s. -- ST PHOTOS: SPH
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Patrons on the dance floor of 57 Chevy @ Katong Village. The pub’s resident band, That’s Life, has been dishing out oldies, rock ‘n’ roll and country music for the last eight years.-- ST PHOTOS: SPH
- ST PHOTOS: RAJ NADARAJAN
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-- ST PHOTOS: SPH
The site is fronted by the 24-hour Old Hong Kong teahouse, located in a conserved police station facing East Coast Road. The 8,239 sq m, 99-year leasehold land is slated for redevelopment into a hotel. The 11 tenants at Katong Village were given notice to leave and seven have done so. However, operator Excalibur Leisure has now been offered a one-year extension by the Singapore Land Authority. -- ST PHOTOS: RAJ NADARAJAN
An interior view of a largely abandoned Katong Village, the buildings of which date back to the 1920s. -- ST PHOTOS: SPH
Patrons on the dance floor of 57 Chevy @ Katong Village. The pub’s resident band, That’s Life, has been dishing out oldies, rock ‘n’ roll and country music for the last eight years.-- ST PHOTOS: SPH
Six months ago, tenants of Katong Village were asked to pack up and leave to make way for a hotel. But a tender to redevelop the site, owned by the Government, did not draw any bids and the authorities have decided to extend the tenancy for another year.
However, seven of the 11 tenants have either closed or relocated, leaving behind four entertainment and food outlets in the former Joo Chiat police station in East Coast Road.
From now till October next year, these businesses can stay but will have to vacate in three months if there is a successful bid for the 8,239sqm, 99-year leasehold land.
A Singapore Land Authority spokesman said the one-year extension was offered to operator Excalibur Leisure, which sublets space to mainly F&B outlets.
Background story
FACING UNCERTAINTY
'First, they are so keen to throw us out, then they ask if we want another one-year agreement. How to operate a business like that?'
- The owner of Award Music School, which removed the doors at its Katong Village location (above) to be used in its new premises at the nearby Eastgate building
