Ginza Plaza

infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name =Ginza Plaza


caption =
location =West Coast, Singapore
opening_date =1993
closing_date =2007
owner =Far East Organisation
number_of_stores =
number_of_anchors =
floor_area =
parking =
floors =
website =

Ginza Plaza was a neighbourhood shopping centre located in West Coast of Singapore. It was built in 1993 and closed in 2007. As of 2008, Ginza Plaza is closed for upgrading, and will be renamed as West Coast Plaza.

Incidents

Ginza Plaza explosion

On 7 Aug 1992 a explosion occurred in Ginza Plaza. [ [http://www.scdf.gov.sg/General/Information/Local_Major_Incidents/ginza_plaza_incident.html http://www.scdf.gov.sg/General/Information/Local_Major_Incidents/ginza_plaza_incident.html] ] It was believed that a gas pipe caused it. Just minutes after the explosion, a fire occurred at the basement level quickly spread out. The SCDF was quickly dispatched to extinguish the fire. In total, there were 61 casualties and 3 were found dead. It was one of the worst fire incidents in Singapore. As a result of this explosion, the construction completion date was delayed by 1 and a quarter years, only to be completed by 1993.

Upgrading

In March 2007, Far East Plaza Organisation temporarily closed down the shopping centre for major upgrading. One purpose of the upgrading was to improve the business, with the food court and the supermarket to be built on the 1st level, and with McDonalds, restaurants and other shops to be built on both 2nd and 3rd level of the shopping centre. The S$26 million upgrading works will be renamed as West Coast Plaza. The upgrading works will be completed by 2009. [ [http://propertyhighlights.blogspot.com/2007/11/far-east-organization-to-spend-s26m-to.html Property Highlights of Singapore: Far East Organization To Spend S$26m To Revamp Ginza Plaza ] ]

The major occupants were McDonald, KFC and ShopNSave. Far East will try to get these tenants back in Sept 2008. Far East also hopes to attract residents living in the West, who are generally have higher salaries than residents in other parts of Singapore. A recent study by Knight Frank showed the West has a higher proportion of private housing (about 30 per cent) than the island-wide residential mix (about 18 per cent). Moreover, the major occupants of these private houses are Professors and Lecturers from National University of Singapore. This group of highly educated residents recently become more concentrated in West Coast of Singapore. Also, nine or more new private residential developments within 2km of West Coast Plaza are expected to be completed around the same time as the mall.

References