Katong Square, a new two-storey 55,000 sqft retail development in Singapore’s east will offer more than 20 food and beverage options.
Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2016, Katong Square will be situated in the heart of Katong, near the junction of East Coast Rd and Joo Chiat Rd. Designed as a food and beverage enclave by Katong Holdings Private Ltd, it is created to be the dining destination of choice for food lovers and is expected to draw crowds both from the East and beyond.
Katong Square will be part of an integrated development, sitting below two upcoming hotels that will boast a combined total of close to 600 rooms – Hotel Indigo (the first of InterContinental Hotel Group’s boutique brand entry into Singapore) and Holiday Inn Express.
The Joo Chiat Police Station which has been marked by the Urban Redevelopment Authority as a conservation building, will form part of the retail section of Katong Square. The retail offer has been carefully curated to deliver a unique culinary experience to customers through an eclectic mix of dining concepts. This includes a selection of homegrown and international brands, as well as cuisines from both East and West.
“Having one of the largest open spaces in the neighborhood, Katong Square aims to create a vibrant town square with visitors bringing their families and friends to take part in regular live events such as art-related and busking performances,” said Katong Holdings in a statement.
Executive chairman of Revolver Asia, appointed retail consultant for this project, Michel Lu says with Singapore’s identity as a food nation, food and beverage is close to everyone’s heart.
“Katong Square is a one-of-a-kind venue with a niche focus in food and beverage, which we believe will draw critical mass. We court the finest food & beverage brands with a strong following of their own and strong brand equity in their various fields of culinary expertise to establish Katong Square as a food hub synonymous with Singapore’s reputation as a multicultural food haven.
“An extraordinary food hub combined with the vibrant communal space, we foresee Katong Square as a buzzing town square in the East Coast and Katong,” added Elaine Seah, development manager of Katong Holdings and Master Contract Services.
“Steeped in culture and heritage, Katong is a prominent cultural landmark in the East. Since the colonial times, Katong’s strong cultural identity has been manifested in their Peranakan or Nonya cuisine, which combines Chinese and Malay influences to create a unique blend of dishes distinctive to their heritage.”
In line with a strong emphasis by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to conserve Katong’s history and heritage, Katong Holdings wants to incorporate features exclusive to Katong within the development.
“At the same time, we will be introducing other established food and beverage operators to complement the current food offerings in Katong to augment their identity as Singapore’s first heritage town.”
With the impending construction of the Thomson-East Coast Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line, Katong Square will be situated next to the planned Marine Parade MRT station. Additionally,
there will be up to 300 available car park lots at Katong Square to address the limited parking issue in the Joo Chiat area. Events and programmes themed around the concept of the mall such as international food and wine festivals will be introduced throughout the year.
Katong Holdings is jointly owned by three Singapore-based developers and builders: Master Contract Services, Keong Hong Construction and Asia Development.
The identity of the brands signing up to the centre will be revealed in two to three months.
