ST : Marine Cove tenants get temporary reprieve

Oct 24, 2010

Marine Cove tenants get temporary reprieve

By Jessica Lim

It looks like the clutch of pubs and restaurants surrounding the McDonald's outlet in East Coast Park will stay - at least for six months longer than planned.

Last Friday, the 32 tenants of Marine Cove, as the place is called, were given an option to extend their leases by another six months.

Their leases there originally expire on March 16 next year, and the current master tenant, Rock Productions - the business arm of New Creation Church - had asked them to move out by that date.

The land, managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), will be handed to the National Parks Board (NParks) thereafter.

NParks has said that it plans to 'free up park space for the public, as well as enhance access to the beach' which may see some buildings torn down. The area will then be opened up for public tender.

All these changes, tenants have said, led to their not knowing if they would be in business in the coming months.

'To facilitate a smooth transition for the businesses at the Marine Cove area, we are offering the tenants a six-month extension,' said Mr Bernard Lim, NParks' assistant director of coastal parks.

The agency will cater to park visitors' dining and recreational needs, he added.

One tenant, Mr Foo Chit Seng, bar-restaurant The Beach Hut's owner, said he received a letter from NParks last Friday.

'We are grateful for the extension. But we still don't know if we can stay beyond that,' he said, adding that tenants have been told the entire area would be closed for renovations after that.

'The spots here will be up for bidding, and I don't think we will be given priority,' he said.

It is the same for the owner of Taroda Racing, Mr Dexter Low, 42. He said he was 'still waiting for a concrete plan to decide what to do next'. His company rents out remote-controlled cars.

McDonald's Restaurants communications director Linda Ming said: 'I think generally, we are pleased with the extension, but what would make us even happier is if we were given a chance to be part of the new Marine Cove, especially since we have been there for the past 28 years.'