SINGAPORE – Like many other tenants at Marina Square, Jonathan Ye found out about the mall’s impending closure when the news broke on Sept 1.
“As of now, we have not yet figured out our plans or found a new space, since we only knew about it this morning,” said Ye, an events manager at group gaming venue Lava Floor, which has been notified to vacate the premises by March 31, 2027.
The space, which has light-up floors with red “lava” tiles that players must avoid stepping on, has been operating on the third floor of Marina Square since early 2025. The same unit is also home to Lockdown escape rooms and VR gaming.
Ye told The Straits Times he is uncertain about how much the business would be compensated, because its lease extends beyond the mall’s scheduled closure date.
But he said it would have preferred to continue operating in the mall.
“No tenant would want such compensation since there are a lot more costs incurred, such as labour and logistics, and more of such costs in the event of a relocation,” Ye said.
“Sometimes, this can be the end of businesses since it requires another large capital investment for the new location renovation, while the previous deposit and compensation are withheld for months by the previous landlord.”
Ted Llaguno, showroom manager at bathroom and kitchen fittings retailer Econflo Systems, echoed concerns about the high cost of relocating.
He said the company spent almost a million dollars on renovations to set up its showroom at Marina Square in 2023.
“The announcement of Marina Square’s closure comes as a shock to us, because now we only have six months to find a new space for our showroom. That’s really too short a time,” he said.
“We will lose the money we spent on our current showroom. We have also built a customer base here that we will also lose once we move locations,” he added.
Econflo Systems showroom said it spent almost a million dollars on renovations to set up its showroom at Marina Square in 2023.
ST PHOTO: ROSALIND ANG
Independent book-and-toy retailer The Toy Folks, which has another store on Orchard Road, is in negotiations to secure a new space.
“Asking rents are at a level that is unfortunately very challenging for a small independent retailer like us to meet and sustain,” its owner Melissa Zheng said.
“We have another store, which we will continue to run. More focus has also been going into our online store and presence, to overcome the increasingly challenging retail scene,” she added.
At least two major tenants had already made plans to relocate out of the shopping centre, with architecture firm DP Architects set to move to SingPost Centre, while private educational institution PSB Academy has leased two spaces in Tai Seng, The Business Times reported in August.
The Tai Seng spaces are part of PSB Academy’s plan to transform from a single campus model to a network of specialised campuses.
“As of now, the campuses are expected to be ready by the first half of 2027, and the transition to the new campuses will be conducted in phases to minimise disruptions,” said PSB Academy chief executive Derrick Chang.
The Straits Times understands that all tenants were informed of the mall’s impending closure in the morning of Sept 1.
Coworking and office space provider JustCo said it will move its Marina Square members to its other locations in Singapore. It operates more than 20 such spaces in the Republic.
A spokesperson said it was unable to share details on whether it would be compensated for the mall’s closure, but added that the company would be open to moving back into the refreshed mall when renovations are completed in 2031.
“We are always open to opportunities, and the concept of coworking spaces within shopping malls has proven to be very popular for our group, not just in Singapore but across the Asia Pacific,” the spokesperson said.
Air-conditioning and electronics retailer Gain City, which has stores across the country, has operated at Marina Square for more than 20 years.
Its spokesperson Candy Cao said the retailer was “informed of the upcoming redevelopment plans recently and have been working closely to understand the implications for our outlet and operations”.
The company, whose lease expires only after the mall is due to shut, has not received any information about the compensation it might receive, she added.
Property developer Singapore Land Group has said it will work closely with tenants through the transition period, including on the timeline and next steps.
Shoppers are also contending with the mall’s impending closure.
Office worker Jessica Lim, who often dines there during lunch and dinner, said she was shocked by the news.
The 37-year-old said: “I also have a young daughter who I bring here on the weekends as well. Now, we will have to work out a different place to bring her on weekends.”
