SINGAPORE – As early as March, there were murmurs among some tenants of Orchard Central Mall about a feasibility study being done by their landlord, though no one knew what it was about or if tenants would be affected.
Inquiries about their leases were met with delayed or holding responses from the leasing team, according to some tenants who spoke to The Straits Times the week of July 13.
Then, a letter dated June 1 arrived from the mall’s landlord, Far East Organisation, informing some tenants that they would have to vacate their units by Nov 30, 2026.
The letter, a copy of which ST has seen, said that the landlord will be renovating and refurbishing the mall as part of an asset enhancement initiative, with works to commence on Dec 1.
Tenants on the fifth to eighth floors, as well as level 12, will be affected, according to those who spoke to ST. The mall’s carpark occupies its ninth floor.
The tenants are on varying lease terms, with some expiring at year-end, others extended until the mall’s last day of operations, while others have leases that run beyond Nov 30.
The Business Times reported on July 10 that Deloitte has secured a permanent space in Orchard Central, where it will occupy several upper-level floors. Deloitte said in a social media post the same day that the move will take place in 2027.
Some affected tenants were unaware of this when ST spoke to them on July 14.
The 10th floor is occupied by Thai-Western eatery Cafe One O and 10 Square, an arts training centre for youth, both of which are operated by The Rice Company, a non-profit arts and culture charity. When contacted, Rice said the outlets were not affected and that their leases end in 2027.
Orchard Central Mall, which opened in July 2009, has 12 above-ground floors and two basement levels, and links directly to Somerset MRT station. It has a total floor area of about 387,940 square feet, and the mall counts Uniqlo as its long-standing anchor tenant.
Staff at Sandbox VR, a virtual reality entertainment centre on level 5, confirmed it will move out at the end of November and said most of the other tenants on the same floor would have to vacate. They were unsure if karaoke chain K.Star, at one end of the floor, would be affected.
Club Pilates, which had a full Pilates class in session when ST visited on July 14, had a sign on its counter that indicated its last day of operations at the mall was on Sept 30.
Benny Chong, who has been running Sublime Hairdressing salon at the mall for 17 years, will also vacate his fifth-floor premises by the end of November. Its lease was set to expire at the end of the year. He has no plans to relocate and intends to take a break.
“Even those with two or three years of lease left still must go,” the 60-year-old noted, referring to other tenants.
About half the space on the sixth floor is occupied by fitness studios Evolve Gym, Max Out Fitness, Ufit Pilates and Hom Yoga.
Clarissa Tan, co-owner of Hom Yoga, said she did not know Deloitte Singapore was going to move into the mall when ST spoke to her on July 17.
She said she and her business partner had contacted the mall sometime in February to discuss renewing their lease, which was due to expire at the end of August.
While they managed to speak to the leasing team in person in early April, they were unable to confirm an extension as the team said they were “assessing” the building.
“That was when we first got news about all these plans. They didn’t say that we couldn’t extend the lease, but they were also quite upfront that they were assessing the building and whatnot,” said Tan, who said she received the official notice in June to move out by Nov 30.
While she has since managed to extend the studio’s lease to the end of November, she feels that communication between the landlord and tenants could have been more transparent.
She said that it would have been more helpful if they had been given an earlier heads-up on the move. “For Hom Yoga, it’s a service-based business and people have packages and memberships. There are real challenges to communicate that to the community.”
“If we announce the news today to our members, what if suddenly all the members decide not to continue with us? We still have to pay rent all the way until November, and our business gets affected very significantly. All these are very real considerations that I don’t know if the landlord considers.”
She added: “Luckily for us, we have one more studio at River Valley. But if this were our only outlet, I would really be scratching my head now. Like, where do I even find a space out of the blue?”
Tan said the studio would open until Nov 15, and that an email about the closure was sent to members and teachers on July 23.
Another affected tenant is collectable toy shop Sugio Collection on level six. Its co-owner Shawn Xu said he had offered to move to a bigger unit on the fourth floor and was willing to pay double in rent per square foot, but did not receive confirmation from the landlord. This was before receiving the letter.
“At that time, they were trying to find an alternative solution for us, and one of the options discussed was moving us to the fourth level of Orchard Central. They offered to show us some suitable units, either within Orchard Central or at other shopping malls under Far East, for us to consider,” said Xu.
He has since signed a contract to rent a unit at Mandarin Gallery at 33A Orchard Rd.
TungLok Group’s leases for three restaurants in Orchard Central have either expired or are approaching expiry, the company’s chief executive Andrew Tjioe said.
TungLok Seafood Restaurant on the 11th floor has been vacated. TungLok Peking Duck restaurant and Dancing Crab, both on the seventh floor, are still in operation.
Tjioe said that the group has “identified suitable new locations” and is in the process of finalising relocation plans.
Nantsuttei Jap restaurant, on the seventh floor, will move to another location in the mall.
A staff member at The Armoury Steaks and Craft Beer restaurant on the 11th floor, speaking to ST on the condition of anonymity, said its lease was cut short by one year. Its neighbour, Club 101, is also moving out in November.
Far East Organisation had offered Armoury Steaks a space in Pacific Plaza at 9 Scotts Road, another Orchard Road mall in its portfolio, but the restaurant plans to move to Wheelock Place mall at 501 Orchard Road instead.
Helen’s Bar, a popular pub chain from China, also confirmed that it will vacate its space on level 12. The brand, popular for its retro-fantasy interiors, has other outlets at Chijmes and Clarke Quay.
Far East Organisation (FEO), in a July 24 reply to ST, said its planned enhancements, subject to approval from the authorities, include fresh dining options, integration of new public art, and improved pedestrian connectivity to the future revamped Istana Park via a new pedestrian link bridge.
The mall is currently approved for retail, F&B and lifestyle use. In-principle approval has been granted by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) for the introduction of offices, alongside existing retail uses.
Marc Boey, FEO’s executive director of property services, said the group believes the next phase of growth for Orchard Road will come from an even stronger mix of retail and lifestyle offerings, homes and workplaces across the precinct.
Orchard Central’s central location and direct connection to Somerset MRT station position the mall well to support this growth, he said.
“Orchard Central will continue to operate as a retail and lifestyle destination, and we remain committed to offering a compelling mix of retail, dining and lifestyle experiences to shoppers.
“Any works will be carefully planned and implemented to minimise disruption to shoppers and tenants, with the necessary operational and security arrangements put in place,” he added.
Sona Aggarwal, managing director and head of retail sales and strategy for Asia Pacific at Cushman & Wakefield, said Deloitte Singapore moving into an Orchard Road mall is in line with the global trend of workplaces shifting to retail precincts.
There needs to be a balance to ensure Orchard Road remains retail-centric, she cautioned.
“Office spaces tend to be on the higher floors. They don’t tend to be on the main retail podiums,” she said.
“The challenge is to maintain the balance and don’t lose the street’s retail DNA. As long as that doesn’t get compromised, I think this is a good thing.”
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said it is supportive of a diverse mix of uses along Orchard Road, including office uses.
This helps to “generate a consistent baseline of activity that, in turn, supports the broader lifestyle ecosystem of food and beverage, retail and entertainment experiences”, said Ashlynn Loo, director of land and concept development at STB.
She added that a steady flow of office workers and professionals will bring higher footfall to the precinct, especially during weekdays and that it enhances the overall vibrancy of Orchard Road.
“STB works closely with stakeholders to support Orchard Road’s long-term rejuvenation, including encouraging a vibrant mix of uses that contributes to the precinct’s vibrancy.” said Loo.
The Straits Times has contacted Far East Organisation for comment.
