Empress Square (Clementi Central - U/C)

[ronlisg]

Originally Posted by planeter

Yap, good news for the area...
Clementi Mall opens in early 2011, with anchor tenants:
BHG departmental store, NTUC Finest, Best Denki, Challenger, Library etc....

And
"Empress Entertainment Centre" down the walking streets will opens in 2012 by Eng Wah:
"The cinemas at Empress, which have been closed for four years, are also being renovated now and will reopen as the operator's biggest cineplex with 10 halls and 1,300 seats in 2012. It will also be redeveloped as Empress Entertainment Centre, a shopping mall that will include the upgraded cineplex."

http://admpreview.straitstimes.com:9...000a35010aRCRD
Dec 10, 2010 (Straits Times Life)
Eng Wah upgrades
The Eng Wah cinema chain is re-doing its cineplexes and adding features such as new seats and a ticketing system
By cheryl tan

Eng Wah?s Suntec cineplex (above) will be shuttered in February next year for its facelift. -- ST FILE PHOTO

The Eng Wah Group is splashing out more than $100 million to give its cineplexes a facelift.

All the halls in Suntec City, West Mall in Bukit Batok and Empress in Clementi will be fitted with new seats. A $500,000 ticketing system has been implemented at Suntec City and West Mall.

The group revealed its multi-million-dollar renovation plans for its retail and cinemas yesterday. It is the third cinema chain here to upgrade its theatres this year.

Golden Village revamped its 18-year-old multiplex in Yishun and added digital projection and 3-D technology to three of its 10 halls. The cineplex reopened last month after the $5 million upgrade.

Shaw Theatres is also spending more than $16 million to add three new halls to its original eight at flagship cineplex Lido, which has been operating since 1993. The cineplex closed in October and is due to open in April next year.

Eng Wah has been operating in Singapore since the 1940s.

Work has already started for Eng Wah's renovation project. Its theatres at Jubilee and Toa Payoh have been shuttered for good but the entertainment centres will be renovated and new retail tenants added.

The cinemas at Empress, which have been closed for four years, are also being renovated now and will reopen as the operator's biggest cineplex with 10 halls and 1,300 seats in 2012. It will also be redeveloped as Empress Entertainment Centre, a shopping mall that will include the upgraded cineplex.

Eng Wah's other two cinemas in West Mall and Suntec City will also be given a sprucing up next month and in February next year.

Besides its cinema business, the Eng Wah Group owns businesses in the retail industry and also Hotel Fort Canning, a five-star hotel at The Legends Fort Canning, which cost $70 million to build.

Financial planner Tan Weiming said the facelift for both of Eng Wah's entertainment centres will help breathe new life into otherwise 'rundown' malls with 'no interesting tenants' to bring in the crowds vital to fill up cinema halls.

He recalled his visit to the chain's cineplex in Suntec City earlier this year: 'The seats are decent but the sound system is not very good. It doesn't feel as modern as the other cinema chains.'

Its cinemas in Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh are also small and rundown, he added, which 'gives the impression that it is not very well run'.

Empress Square - A mixed use commercial development in Singapore, comprising a multi-screen cinema, retail and leisure facilities. Targeting Green Mark platinum award, this building demonstrates high levels of passive design and energy efficiency.

Here are some artist's impressions of Empress Square - WE Cinemas @ Clementi. Notes: Former Empress Cinemas has been demolished and Empress Sq is under construction.

Rear view:
image hosted on flickr


Front view (Day scene):
image hosted on flickr


Front view (Night scene)
image hosted on flickr

[y2koh]

I guess they are trying to take advantage of the growing tetiary student population in the area as more halls of residences are being completed in NUS U-Town, and a lack of cineplexes in Clementi.

[mrtfreak]

Possibly. Secondary schools will also be a huge market with the addition of the NUS High School and the Singapore Science & Technology school that have come up around lately. There is a large market in Singapore Poly, NUS, Ngee Ann Poly as well as Nan Hua Sec, ACS (Independent), ACJC, Fairfield Methodist Sec, New Town Sec and Clementi Town Secondary schools around in Clementi, Kent Ridge and Dover areas. For these schools, Clementi will be the closest cinema once Eng Wah is done, followed by Jurong East at JCube's Shaw and then Tiong Bahru Plaza's GV. The only grouse will be that the cinema complex is not integrated with the shopping centre & bus interchange, unlike Boon Lay, Ang Mo Kio and Serangoon.

[Edd1]

This will be the thread for Empress Theatres..Hmm people living in the west, what do you expect from this new entertainment centre in 2013?

[y2koh]

Edd1, thanks.
The name of the project is Empress Square. I've moved the discussions from Clementi Integrated Development to here.

[Edd1]

Hope there will have some tenants that attracts people coming...or else it will be as dead as Cityvibe

[y2koh]

The location of the mall itself is already on the losing end.

[Edd1]

Originally Posted by y2koh

The location of the mall itself is already on the losing end.

Actually it won't say it's on the losing end but if EW were to choose tenants that attract people then it won't be a problem.

[ddes]

Unfortunately, the EW management is very incompetent, and I don't see this working. At. All.

[Edd1]

If can some tenants can just attract people that Clementi does not have like Coffee Bean, Aston , hmmm Uniqlo? hmmm Koi? Because it's too crowded there at 442... Macdonalds Clementi Mall always packed then KFC too....Hope they bring in better tenants..

[peromyvi]

Jem opening mid 2013 with Cathay cinema. don't think empress sq will finish by then. west is becoming more happening. city vibe with maybank becomes more functional. hope by next yr will see a Popeye's in the west