In February, Westies were shocked and saddened to discover that JCube would close down on 6 Aug to be converted into a residential development.
On Sunday (6 Aug), the final day of operations ultimately arrived.
Singaporeans headed down to say their last goodbyes to the iconic mall.
JCube closed for good at 10pm on Sunday (6 Aug), and they made a final Facebook post that day.
In their message, they thanked Singaporeans for their support over the years, saying it was an “incredible journey” and adding,
It wouldn’t have been possible without you.
Source: JCube on Facebook
Ahead of the closure, some JCube tenants had moved out or closed down in July.
This included the normally bustling Haidilao, which stood desolate, an empty shell of what it once was.
Others, however, stayed till the bitter end.
By Sunday evening, many had closed shop for the last time, with staff seen packing their items into cardboard boxes.
While some F&B establishments were still crowded with customers, retail stores that were still open had empty shelves.
Even supermarkets like Scarlett found themselves with vacant racks for probably the first time.
Daiso and Threeppy were even devoid of shelves, with swathes of empty floor space evident.
Those that were busy, like Baleno, were clearing their stock by having closing-down sales.
Signs offering various discounts were seen throughout the mall.
Visitors to the mall on Sunday also experienced the surreal sight of an emptied-out Don Don Donki.
The Japanese chain store, normally filled with rows upon rows of snacks, was suddenly filled with a yawning void.
They’d informed customers over Facebook that their JCube store, their first in the West, would be closing after three years and nine months, thanking them for their support.
Source: DON DON DONKI Singapore on Facebook
While there were still a small number of items to be found, it was still a jarring sight to see a Don Don Donki outlet close down, with uncharacteristically bare shelves on its last day.
Arguably the biggest loss, though, was the ice skating rink — Singapore’s only Olympic-sized ice skating rink.
On Sunday night, skaters were out in full force for one last skate at The Rink.
In a Facebook post, the Singapore Ice Hockey Association bade farewell to The Rink by gathering skaters for one last group shot.
Source: Singapore Ice Hockey Association on Facebook
Hopefully, they will have another opportunity to skate somewhere else soon.
Some netizens also mourned the loss of the only IMAX cinema screen in the West.
Sure enough, Shaw Theatres saw a healthy crowd catching the final screening.
No doubt, some of them had been watching movies there since the Jurong Entertainment Centre (JEC) days before the mall was renovated to become JCube.
Unsurprisingly, Facebook feeds on Sunday were filled with posts by nostalgic Singaporeans about visiting JCube for the last time.
Some of them had been hanging out at the mall since it was JEC, waxing lyrical about their youth spent there.
Source: Chia Jin Hao on Facebook
They lamented that it was another place in Singapore about to become history and decided to come one last time to enjoy its final hours.
Source: SweeHuat Ng on Facebook
Although JCube has ceased operations, Westies still have Westgate, JEM and IMM to cater to their shopping and eating needs.
However, as an iconic mall of yesteryear, JCube will always be in their hearts as the place holds numerous memories.
Let’s hope the retail and entertainment facilities in the upcoming residential development can match up, somewhat, to what they’re taking over.
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Featured image from MS News.
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