The Cathay reopening soon after closing for renovations in August 2023
About one year and nine months after closing for renovations, The Cathay in Dhoby Ghaut is reopening its doors for business.
The news was announced by Cathay Malls in a Facebook reel on Wednesday (19 March), without revealing the exact date of reopening.
Source: Cathay Malls on Facebook
The Cathay teases reopening with signs
In the clip, various youngsters carried signs around the Dhoby Ghaut area saying, “It is happening”, “Your favourite mall is back & BETTER!” and “Opening Soon!”.
One girl stood in front of the mall’s recognisable lifts with a sign saying, “See you at The Cathay!”
Source: Cathay Malls on Facebook
The caption teased that the wait “will be over soon”.
The Cathay reopening was estimated for late 2024
The Cathay closed in August 2023 for its first major revamp since 2003.
The Cathay Cineplex closed more than a year before that in June 2022 after 83 long years, before it was temporarily replaced by indie cinema operator The Projector.
At the time, the revamp was estimated to take about 1.5 years, with its reopening targeted for late 2024.
While that did not happen, passers-by had noticed that hoardings had been taken down and some new tenants had begun moving in and setting up their units for operations.
The Cathay gazetted as a national monument in 2003
The Cathay Building was gazetted as a national monument in 2003 due to its historical value.
The building was last redeveloped in 2000, with its famous Art Deco facade preserved due to its national monument status.
Thus, its rounded and stepped walls and vertical signage that spells out the word “Cathay” remain. The rest of the building, however, could be refurbished — which accounts for its current half-retro-half-modern look.
The redeveloped building was reopened in 2006, along with a multiplex, but Cathay Organisation sold it to mm2 Asia in 2017 following the decline of the cinema business.
However, they still retain ownership of The Cathay Building.
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Featured image adapted from Cathay Malls on Facebook and MS News.
