Text Source:http://www.victoriawholesale.com.sg

Victoria Street Wholesale Centre (VSWC)
Victoria Street Wholesale Centre (VSWC) houses 41 units with tenants engaged mainly in the sale of groceries and dried provisions. A few tenants also deal in party and catering supplies, disposable plastic products, fabric, hardware, household items and wooden handicraft. It was developed by the Housing Development Board (HDB) with a temporary occupation license in 1997 to house the Ellenborough Market tenants affected by the Relocation Programme.

History
The history of VSWC dates back to 1891 when vendors of dried seafood products gathered together in a marketplace in Tew Chew Street by the Singapore River (now the site of Merchant Court Swissotel) to do their business.

http://202.172.245.34:8085/watermarks/makeimg.php?photo=19980005502-8073-3222-4708/img0021.jpg
Image source: NHB

Tew Chew Street then came to be known as a marketplace with the widest variety of reasonably priced dried groceries. However a fire broke out in 1968 and burnt down the market. In 1978, a modern three-storey wholesale centre was built at the same location to house the original tenants. This became the Ellenborough Market. When plans for the construction of the MRT Northeast Line were announced, the wholesale centre was affected and had to relocate to its current premises at Victoria Street on a temporary lease agreement, ending 2003. This year, HDB has agreed to extend the lease of Victoria Street Wholesale Centre for another three years until December 2006.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0235.jpg

Some interesting dried food and items that were found in this wholesale centre...

Dried Ikan Bilis - Used for making Nasi Lemak, soup for Yong Tau Foo etc
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0236.jpg

Gingko Nuts - Used for desserts mainly
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0249.jpg

Dried Flat Fish - Used as an enhancer in frying Chinese dishes as well as in making sotong meat balls etc
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0248.jpg

Dried Chrysanthemum - Used to make a "cooling" tea
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0250.jpg

Dried Shrimps - Used in many dishes
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0255.jpg

Not too sure about this though... :p
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0254.jpg

Jellyfish - Used by my mum to make salad :)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0260.jpg

Chestnut - Used in soups, dumpling, desserts etc. I love chestnuts!
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0256.jpg

The stores selling many different kinds of dried food and spices
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0275.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0240.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0276.jpg

Dried Chilli
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0267.jpg

Going back to the old days...

Remember carrying a lantern like this? Using candles then. Not battery-operated lanterns.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0262.jpg

Remember bowls then were always painted with a cock picture. Wonder why?
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0243.jpg

Remember these biscuits that were distributed at PAP kindergarten then (when you were 5 or 6)?
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_0237.jpg

Thanks for thpse tasty nuggets of information!

It sure looks like a nice place to check out...feels very nostalgic indeed....

the dried squid looks tasty too :D

I wonder what would happen when their temporary leases expire again in December 2006? They were supposed to move out in 2003 but did not....

It should be extended for another 3 years. Don't think HDB has plans to build 40-storey HDB flats on that plot of land yet.

The Tourism Board may wanna feature it in its brochures of Singapore...some tourists may like looking at such 'Asian' things and immerse themselves in something 'exotic'

Ah... the buscuit tins sure brings back memories. :)


The market looks strange smack right in the city.
Sadly the shophouses near Ellenbrough were also demolished. :cry: Should be at least rebuilt as facades into the new developement

I wonder if they would develop the area?? The interchange (to johor) and wholesale centre looks old.....:yes:

I wonder if they would develop the area?? The interchange (to johor) and wholesale centre looks old.....:yes:

I think the empty land above the Bugis MRT next to the wholesale centre (listed by URA as the future sale site at Victoria Street) has already been earmarked as a possible landmark site. I guess its a matter of time this prime area would be redeveloped along with the "landmark site".

Sometimes I wish they work faster at redeveloping such areas :banana:

Is the wholesale centre temporary?

Is the wholesale centre temporary?

Their lease is supposed to run out very soon, in December 2006. Nothing on their website hint at what's happening next.....

Hope they still stay around Victoria Street but get a permanent building somewhere along the road.

As long as there are vacant land parcels lying around Bugis, the wholesale centre should be allowed to stay on IMHO.

Future developments should also start from the Bugis MRT outwards.

As long as there are vacant land parcels lying around Bugis, the wholesale centre should be allowed to stay on IMHO.

Yep.... as long as the land parcel where the wholesale centre is now sited do not revert back to its shameful history not too many years ago.

^^

what activities occured on the site previously?

I think it was shophouses... The area around Rochor Centre, huge shophouse area.

^^

what activities occured on the site previously?
Ahem.... transvestites (men who had gone under the knife) operating brothels in the backlanes of rows of shophouses along Johore Road. Lots of curious tourists on trishaws took pictures of these transvestites and the crowds there until a fire broke out in the late 90s. The govt took opportunity of the fire damage to demolish entire rows of crumbly shophouses and erased that infamous road and their sinful past.

quote: http://www.answers.com/topic/transgender-people-in-singapore

Johore Road - Formerly located between and parallel to Queen Street and Victoria Street, and bisected by Ophir Road, it was the less well-known cousin of its glamourous counterpart, Bugis Street, just a stone's throw away. It was the seedy haunt of transgender prostitutes who solicited sex from locals, away from the glare of Western tourists. No photographs or media attention were focussed on this street of ill-repute; only a no-frills approach to an economic exchange. It was one of the few roads to be completely erased from the map of Singapore after a fire in the late 90s, to be replaced by an unnamed park next to the Bugis MRT station and the Victoria Street Wholesale Centre.

also I think the construction of the Bugis MRT sealed the fate on the activities.....one of the lost secrets of Singapore

one of the lost secrets of Singapore

The nearby Bugis MRT had already been built and running but yet they were still operating every night and the govt was powerless to close them down until the fire comes along. Good thing too although I sometimes wonder how the fire started.

Here's some pics of the backlanes which would be crowded with transgenders and their patrons at night:

http://202.172.245.29/DJVUServer/getImage.jsp?file=/picas_data/tn_pcd/19990007467-0004-3012-0916/img109.jpg

http://202.172.245.29/DJVUServer/getImage.jsp?file=/picas_data/tn_pcd/19990007461-0004-3012-0986/img092.jpg

Demolition of Johore Road shophouses for urban renewal. This would be the current site of the Victoria Street Wholesale Centre:

http://202.172.245.29/DJVUServer/getImage.jsp?file=/picas_data/tn_pcd/19990007092-0004-3012-0348/img084.jpg

http://202.172.245.29/DJVUServer/getImage.jsp?file=/picas_data/tn_pcd/19990007451-0004-3012-0970/img083.jpg

Those old pictures are fascinating to look at....in a strange way, it seems bizarrely fascinating.

Before the IMF event, the authorities took great pains to repaint a lot of dirty-looking old buildings...but I've sometimes seen how captivated tourists are when they come across something 'rotting' in downtown Singapore....this would be one of such places if left intact and unrestored...

I suppose the 'crowd' moved to nearby Desker Rd after that?

Those old pictures are fascinating to look at....in a strange way, it seems bizarrely fascinating.

Before the IMF event, the authorities took great pains to repaint a lot of dirty-looking old buildings...but I've sometimes seen how captivated tourists are when they come across something 'rotting' in downtown Singapore....this would be one of such places if left intact and unrestored...

I suppose the 'crowd' moved to nearby Desker Rd after that?

Not sure where they really went but I read that some may have gone to Desker Road or Changi Village to ply their "trade".

I remembered those trishaw tours that take Japanese and Western tourists from the Rochor area to Kampong Glam some years back. The Johore Road backlanes were an obligatory stop by the trishaw riders for these tourists to get excited and take lots of flash photographs of the "dirty" crowd. Its hard for them to imagine such activities taking place in squeaky-clean and modern Singapore.

All these are now history.

Another heritage area destroyed...

Not far away from the Victoria Wholesale Market and a stroll down the Rochor Canal (PUB plans to upgrade it) leads to the Sungei Road Thieves Market.

The area has been undeveloped for a long time. Not sure if the tourism board would promote it, but it provides a different kind of scene from other parts of the city.

http://i10.************/4tu0k0n.jpg

http://i13.************/5258z94.jpg

http://i19.************/4lo1zt5.jpg

Ahh, I hate this scene the most(not saying your picture sucks =X), whenever my father drive past this road, the environment sort of changes, feels like malaysia or other neighboring countires

Ahh, I hate this scene the most(not saying your picture sucks =X), whenever my father drive past this road, the environment sort of changes, feels like malaysia or other neighboring countires
I actually love to rumage through their second hand wares when I was younger and working nearby. On weekends, it looks like an extension of Little India with the foreign crowd.

I suspect this place may not last more than a couple of years more once the Downtown Line MRT project gets underway. By 2013, Bugis station would be linked to Suntec City and Marina Bay and by 2015, it would be linked the other direction to Bukit Timah and Bukit Panjang.

I remember reading in the Chinese newspapers that as the current EW Bugis Station was built in the mid-eighties and not designed for a future multi-tier interchange, there is likely to be a second Bugis Station for the Downtown Line located under Ophir Road or Queen Street next to Rochor Centre, or possibly under the current Victoria Street Wholesale Centre. In my opinion, as the Thieves Market is so close by the new Bugis station, it would probably be cleared at the same time.

^^

That seems likely, a 'win-win' solution for urban transport and helping take full advantage of the central, 'waterfront' location. The new Bugis station will likely be an interchange to be built next to the current one. This area itself may even have its own MRT station before carrying on to Little India station.

I never used to like the area, but actually I now find such scenes fascinating, because theyre areas untouched by intense planning, and provide a change from the other parts of Singapore. In fact the only planning you see are the empty plots of land fenced up to prevent littering.

That's good news.

However, though they are fenced up, the amount of litter there is still intense, that makes it sort of an eyesore..

That's good news.

However, though they are fenced up, the amount of litter there is still intense, that makes it sort of an eyesore..
Yep .... its probably the only place in Singapore that does not quite fit in with the image of a clean and prosperous city. Hope the govt finds an alternative location for these stall holders to deal with second hand goods.

Not far away from the Victoria Wholesale Market and a stroll down the Rochor Canal (PUB plans to upgrade it) leads to the Sungei Road Thieves Market.

The area has been undeveloped for a long time. Not sure if the tourism board would promote it, but it provides a different kind of scene from other parts of the city.

http://i19.************/4lo1zt5.jpg

Thanks RC for the memories. You know, it used to be said that if any of your belongings got stolen, there's a good chance you can buy it back at the Thieves Market. :lol: Obviously it's just a saying although my friend thought he saw the left side of his stolen Gucci shoe :nuts:

LOL...cant imagine anyone trying to sell just one side of shoe :-P

Second-hand goods dealers in Singapore are feeling the pinch from the recession.

22 Feb 09

Vendors in one of the country's largest flea markets in Sungei Road have had to slash already-low prices even further, as customers drive a hard bargain.

"The Beatles record, last time you can sell for S$25, now S$4," said a vendor.

Sales at the Sungei Road so-called "Thieves Market", where some 500 vendors gather, have fallen by 20 per cent after the Lunar New Year.

A stall which sells high-end second-hand cameras, usually for S$200 to S$300 a piece, has had to reduce the price to S$150.

The price war has seen some dealers close stalls indefinitely.

And, the recent rainy weather has not helped the trade here.

Some vendors are considering asking the government to let them extend their operating hours, by allowing them to open for business at 11am instead of 1pm.

Currently, the stalls are allowed to operate daily till 7pm.

Ng Lian Cheong, Channel NewsAsia

Ahh, I hate this scene the most(not saying your picture sucks =X), whenever my father drive past this road, the environment sort of changes, feels like malaysia or other neighboring countires

Then one day you'll have to go overseas just to experience this atmosphere. Have you ever thought that many people actually like the experience and disorderliness of street side markets, like you get all over Europe and Asia?

Victoria Street Wholesale Centre to relocate in 2011

7 Dec 09

SINGAPORE : The Victoria Street Wholesale Centre will relocate in 2011, and most of the dry food shopkeepers will be moving to the new location.

The market's merchant association hopes the move will also help revamp the market's image.

Construction of the new wholesale centre will start in April next year and is expected to be completed in late 2011 or early 2012.

The new 8-storey building will be situated along Kallang Road and on a plot almost half the size of the current location.

Two levels will be set aside for shop space - enough to take in up to 60 tenants.

The Victoria Street Wholesale Centre Merchants' Association said two other levels will be set aside for parking, another three will be for cargo storage, and the roof will serve as a leisure area.

Aside from being a one-stop wholesale centre, the association hopes the new building will help build up a new image.

"We can act as the middleman and introduce our products to different countries. And if possible, we'll try to organise education trips with schools," said Mario Chua Wui Neng, chairman of the Victoria Street Wholesale Centre Merchants' Association.

Although the new building is not as strategically located as the current one, shopkeepers are confident it will continue to draw in customers.

"It's very convenient - over at the new place, you can choose from 20 to 30 different stores," said Derrick Tan, a shopkeeper at Victoria Street Wholesale Market.

Despite the move, the association said the wholesale centre will continue to keep its name.

By Seet Sok Hwee & Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia

Next to go - Sungei road 'Thieves' Market'? hmmmm ......................?

Victoria Street Wholesale Centre to relocate in 2011

7 Dec 09

SINGAPORE : The Victoria Street Wholesale Centre will relocate in 2011, and most of the dry food shopkeepers will be moving to the new location.

The market's merchant association hopes the move will also help revamp the market's image.

Construction of the new wholesale centre will start in April next year and is expected to be completed in late 2011 or early 2012.

The new 8-storey building will be situated along Kallang Road and on a plot almost half the size of the current location.

Two levels will be set aside for shop space - enough to take in up to 60 tenants.

The Victoria Street Wholesale Centre Merchants' Association said two other levels will be set aside for parking, another three will be for cargo storage, and the roof will serve as a leisure area.

Aside from being a one-stop wholesale centre, the association hopes the new building will help build up a new image.

"We can act as the middleman and introduce our products to different countries. And if possible, we'll try to organise education trips with schools," said Mario Chua Wui Neng, chairman of the Victoria Street Wholesale Centre Merchants' Association.

Although the new building is not as strategically located as the current one, shopkeepers are confident it will continue to draw in customers.

"It's very convenient - over at the new place, you can choose from 20 to 30 different stores," said Derrick Tan, a shopkeeper at Victoria Street Wholesale Market.

Despite the move, the association said the wholesale centre will continue to keep its name.

By Seet Sok Hwee & Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia

Kallang Road? Can't think of any plots there being available unless it is using the vacant lands around Kampong Bugis/Kallang Riverside Park.

^^
Building an 8-storey building makes it sound kinda mid to long term though...and those lands are part of the Kallang Riverside vision. But who knows maybe it could be like having those steamboat properties at Marina South for 20 yrs before they packed and left.

Next to go - Sungei road 'Thieves' Market'? hmmmm ......................?

I think its hard to actually phase those out cos individuals can easily roam anywhere else in the vicinity if they really wanted to hawk their goods...I actually feel they add some character and buzz to the area. They should be integrated with the plans to transform the Rochor Canal :nuts:

Here is a news on the relocation to the new site. :)


Victoria Street Wholesale Centre to relocate in April
By Seet Sok Hwee | Posted: 25 January 2012 1814 hrs

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/components/display_image.php?id=480412
New wholesale centre at Kallang Road

SINGAPORE: The Victoria Street Wholesale Centre will be relocating to Kallang Road on April 1 this year.

Its Merchants' Association has received about 100 queries about renting space in the new premises.

The new building, which costs S$30 million to build, was completed in December last year.

The eight-storey centre will be able to accommodate 60 shop units, 50 percent more shops than before.

However, more than 10 wholesalers have decided not to move to the new building.

This is partly because at 600 square feet per unit, the shop space is 30 percent smaller than before.

Rent is also three or four times more expensive, at about S$4000 to S$5000 a month.

A shopkeeper said: "The rent is higher and it's less convenient. It's very convenient here. Over there, you'll have to walk quite a bit."

Another said: "I'm old, my children don't intend to take over my business, so I'm not moving."

- CNA/al


source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1179012/1/.html

Here is a pic of the new building I found on their official site.

http://victoriawholesalecentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/SideView1_1.jpg

source:http://victoriawholesalecentre.com/

Here is the location of the building in relation to Kallang MRT station.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/404439_10150611868437040_671067039_11412319_595084674_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/404439_10150611868437040_671067039_11412319_595084674_n.jpg

Some pics I took passing by the old area. I wonder how long until they will sell the land for hotel use. It seems to be case base on the 2008 master plan.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/320131_10151192810817040_474029113_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/320131_10151192810817040_474029113_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/581636_10151192810907040_725015125_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/581636_10151192810907040_725015125_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431344_10151192811012040_1973677658_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431344_10151192811012040_1973677658_n.jpg

The site where Victoria Wholesale Centre used to be is now up for tender.


Victoria St/Ophir Rd hotel site's sales conditions released
Posted: 30 November 2012 1215 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) released detailed sales conditions for a hotel site at Victoria Street/Ophir Road on Friday.

With a land area of 0.8 ha, the site is expected to accommodate a hotel development yielding about 32,019 square metres of gross floor area.

According to the URA, the land parcel at Victoria Street/Ophir Road is made available for sale under the Reserve List of the Government Land Sales Programme for the second half of 2012.

This means that the government will release the site for sale if the criteria for triggering the site is met and if it receives sufficient market interest for the site.

When the land parcel is put up for tender, a tender period of about eight to 12 weeks will be allowed before tender closes.

The site is located near the Ophir-Rochor corridor, which is set to be a mix-use cluster with office, hotel, retail, entertainment and residential uses.

The land parcel is also near the historic districts Kampong Glam and Little India, which are popular with locals and tourists.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/components/display_image.php?id=519603
(Photo: URA)


- CNA/xq


source: CNA (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1240285/1/.html)