- Joined
- Oct 5, 2012
- Messages
- 21,057
- Points
- 113
From Emporium to indoor pickleball court: Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre through the years
The shopping centre, which once had tenants such as the Oriental Emporium department store, was relaunched for collective sale last month.
Completed in the 1980s, Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre is a strata-titled mall that comprises units operated by individual owners. (Photo: CNA/Tang See Kit)
FAST
SINGAPORE: A visit to Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre always felt like a treat for Cubbert Dooa when he was young.
With air-conditioned shopping centres being a novelty in the 1980s, the six-storey building was the area’s first, delighting residents like Mr Dooa and his family.
ADVERTISEMENT
Crowds were a common sight, especially at Oriental Emporium – then Singapore’s largest department store chain – located on the fourth floor.“In those days, it was rare that your parents took you out to go shopping and this is shopping in a building with air-con,” the 58-year-old recalled.
Today, Mr Dooa still frequents Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre but no longer as a curious kid. For the past 29 years, he has been running a computer repair shop there, occupying a front-row seat to the freehold strata-titled development’s change through time.
A quick Google search now throws up search results that include a video describing the place as “Singapore’s worst mall”, as well as news articles about a recent knife attack and a second attempt at a collective sale this year.
It was announced on Nov 18 that the freehold shopping centre was back on the market at unchanged reserve price of S$260 million, after an earlier attempt ended in September with no takers.
The public tender closed on Dec 3. CNA has contacted marketing agent CBRE and the development’s collective sale committee for an update.
When CNA visited the shopping centre over the past week, the shutters were down on many units and footfall was sparse – a sharp contrast to the bustle at nearby Nex shopping mall.
Some units displayed “for rent” signs, while a handful appeared to be vacant. One such vacant unit bore the faded logo of a school uniform shop that left in 2013, going by the relocation notice still taped to the glass window.
For those that were open for business, it was a mix of the old and new, ranging from barbershops and hairdressers, eateries, optical shops, computer repair shops, beauty and massage parlours, ballroom-type venues specialising in weddings and a gym.
Its newest addition is an indoor pickleball court, which occupies the space that was once Emporium's, and others such as a furniture shop and an arcade.
“This place has gone through so many changes,” said Mr Dooa.
When CNA visited the shopping centre over the past week, there was little footfall and many businesses were shut. (Photo: CNA/Tang See Kit)
ONCE A HIP PLACE
Completed in 1982, Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre is a strata-titled mall that comprises units owned by individual owners. It has 171 commercial units across four levels and eight residential units on the highest floor, according to its management office.Apart from Emporium, it was also home to another crowd-puller in its early days – Big Rooster, a fast food chain known for its fried and barbecued chicken.
Others that have come and gone include an arcade and LAN shops that made it the place to be for youths back in the day.
Mr Tim Wee recalled hanging out at the shopping centre with friends from school and church.
“There was an era when this building was filled with LAN shops. I think this was 1998 to maybe mid-2000s, and I would be there with my friends. We would also patronise the arcade, the pool hall, and the iconic barbershop Red Panther.
“Before Nex, this was the hip place to hang out,” he said.
Others recall childhood milestones, such as getting their first computer game on a floppy disk, spectacles, earhole piercings and school uniforms for the new school year.
For Mr Philip Wong, the POSB bank on the ground level, which is now a gym, was where he opened his first bank account.
“It’s amazing this place is still around,” said the 48-year-old who was in the area to visit his parents last week.
Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre, a freehold strata-titled development on Upper Serangoon Road, was relaunched for collective sale on Nov 18, with an unchanged reserve price of S$260 million. (Photo: CBRE)
But with the emergence of bigger and trendier new-generation malls, often managed by real estate investment trusts or REITS that could better curate offerings, crowds began to dwindle over the past two decades.
The building’s façade and ageing interior and facilities may have also added to the perception that it had fallen behind times, said tenants and visitors at the mall.
For example, two stone lions – Chinese traditional symbols that are believed to ward off evil spirits and protect the premises they guard – stand prominently at the entrance.
“I don’t think malls have that now,” chucked Mr Christopher Lim, adding that the shopping centre’s toilets were previously sought out by a team of production crew for a drama that required a more retro-looking setup.
TENANTS WHO STAY PUT
Despite the shopping centre showing its age, there are some businesses that have chosen to stay put. Mr Lim, for one, has operated Christanio De Florist at the same ground-floor unit since 1983.“My friend was selling cassette tapes at the shopping centre and he told me there are no florists, come – so here I am,” the 67-year-old recalled with a laugh.
The adventurous move, as Mr Lim called it, paid off. He was making a profit by the first year and has since built up a name for himself – both as a florist and an instructor of ikebana, the Japanese craft of flower arrangement – and a loyal base of customers.
“I have customers across generations, all because of this place,” he said. “The first generation got their wedding bouquets from me. Their children did the same when they got married, and now they have grandchildren.”
A community that looks out for one another is another reason why Mr Lim has found it hard to move.
“I am very comfortable here. So, my mind sometimes says move, but my heart is asking me to stay.”
Christanio De Florist has been operating at the same ground-floor unit since 1983. (Photo: CNA/Tang See Kit)
Another tenant who has been around since the 1980s is Mdm Tan who runs an optical shop.
ADVERTISEMENT
In its heydays, the shopping centre hosted performances by celebrities and visits by prominent figures, she said, showing CNA undated photos of a young Mr Goh Chok Tong and his entourage.Mdm Tan, who is in her 70s, still remembers the busy days leading up to Chinese New Year, when she and her husband continued working long after the mall closed at 10pm and the aircon had switched off.
Her business has got quieter these days, surviving on a mix of ageing regulars and their referrals. But she sees it with a glass-half-full mentality, noting that the current state of affairs is “just nice” after her husband fell ill. She manages the shop alone now.
More importantly, she still makes enough to cover rent, which is about S$2,000 (US$1,543) a month.
“I won’t be able to find that kind of rent elsewhere. If I move, I also have to worry about renovation and look for new customers. At my age, I don’t think I have the energy or money to do that,” she said.
“Here, I can take it easy and be happy.”
A young Mr Goh Chok Tong is seen in this undated photo taken at Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre. (Photo: CNA/Tang See Kit)
NEW TENANTS IN THE MIX
The same factors appear to also be a draw for newer tenants, such as Advanced Vocal, which opened in April.ADVERTISEMENT
Its owner, Raymond Yeo, is paying “less than S$5,000” for a ground-floor unit of about 700 sq ft – a figure that he told CNA was among the most reasonably-priced options he had.A lower rent means that he is able to keep prices affordable for his customers, who include performers looking for a rehearsal space and seniors taking part in singing competitions. A four-hour session at the studio costs S$12 per person.
He can also invest in better equipment and audio systems, equivalent to those in recording studios, which sets his space apart from the usual karaoke chains, said Mr Yeo, who is a vocal coach and conducts classes in the evenings.
Being in an ageing shopping centre does not bother him or his customers at all, said Mr Yeo, adding that a convenient location accessible by public transport mattered more.
Likewise, Mr Wee, co-owner of barber shop Nikko Parlour, said the rent for his 140 sq ft unit on level three comes up to “a figure that is comfortably below S$2,000 a month”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Another key draw was the “organic” feel and make-up of tenants, said Mr Wee, who visited the shopping centre when he was younger.His shop, for instance, is on the same level as an old-school barber, a massage parlour and a trading card shop.
“How interesting is that? That we can all co-exist in the same place,” he said.
“Yes, the aircon system and the toilets may not be the most modern, but you get a different experience than a generic shopping mall and I think people are a little sick of the whole generic shopping mall, right?”
Last month, the shopping centre added a new tenant – an indoor pickleball court, which takes over the space where Emporium used to occupy on the fourth floor.
ADVERTISEMENT
The indoor court has brought an unexpected boost to footfall, some tenants said.“I don’t think (they) will be interested in buying anything from me, but it’s good to have new tenants that add some vibrancy to the building,” said Mrs Tan Mary, who runs Yun Nam Kitchen on level three.
FUTURE PLANS
Some hope for more to be done to improve the mall, such as having facilities like ATMs, or repair works to be carried out on escalators that broke down at least a year ago.The latter has left visitors and residents on the top floor dependent on two ageing lifts that tenants say break down often.
A representative of the management office noted that maintaining an ageing shopping centre is a complex and costly project.
But plans are in place for the shopping centre to get new escalators from early next year, after months of engaging external firms to weigh the pros and cons of repairs or replacements, and going through necessary paperwork.
This will be followed by a refurbishment of the lifts, as well as necessary waterproofing and painting works.
“What we need to do, we will do, no matter what happens with the collective sale,” said the representative, adding that the individual unit owners have been “very supportive” in contributing to much-needed funds for these maintenance works.
Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre's latest addition is an indoor pickleball court operator, which opened in early-November. (Photo: CNA/Tang See Kit)
Those that CNA spoke to are ambivalent about the latest sale attempt.
New tenants like Mr Wee and Mr Yeo said they have been told that if it were to happen, it would likely take another two to three years before the building would be shuttered. For them, that would be enough time to make alternative plans.
Meanwhile, the older tenants said they are prepared to call it a day if the place is sold.
Mrs Tan, who started Yun Nam Kitchen with her siblings about 30 years ago, cited her age as a reason.
“My brother suffered a stroke recently. The rest of us are also not getting younger, so it can get quite tiring,” said the 78-year-old.
She is aware that her eatery has, over the year,s become an unofficial “seniors’ corner” for those in the area, adding that she feels like she owes it to these long-time customers to keep the business going.
“I don’t think they can find another place where they can sit for so long from morning to afternoon just by ordering one cup of coffee,” she said with a laugh.
“My siblings and I will try (to keep this going), as long as this shopping centre is around.”
