New Reporter
24-11-23, 13:12
‘Nothing can replace the bond’: Raffles Town Club crew, members lament site’s future redevelopment
https://i.imgur.com/2aArp9Y.jpg
24 November, 2023
SINGAPORE - Operating from the basement carpark of Raffles Town Club, Mr Anthony Tay has been providing car grooming services to members since the club opened in 2000, at the request of its then owners.
The 61-year-old’s customers are mostly club members who have been patronising his shop for more than two decades. These customers’ children, now adults, also get their cars polished by him.
On the club needing to vacate its premises for residential development when its lease ends in October 2026, he said: “I definitely feel sad. I’m used to serving all these familiar faces, and all of a sudden, I need to leave them. Nothing else can replace that kind of bond I have with my customers... They are like old friends to me.”
Mr Tay, who operates One Stop Car Beauty Centre alone, said he is paying a “comfortable rate” for rent compared with other places, allowing him to charge lower prices.
He said he would have to evaluate if he has “the energy to start all over again”.
The car groomer is hoping to move to another club’s premises, and is thinking of retirement if he cannot secure a central location with low rental rates.
On Nov 20, the authorities announced that the Raffles Town Club site in Plymouth Avenue, near Stevens MRT station, would be redeveloped to support future housing demand after the club’s 30-year lease ends on Oct 17, 2026.
Apart from the car grooming centre, the club’s facilities include a billiards room, a swimming pool and restaurants. It also houses guest rooms for overnight stays and a MindChamps childcare centre.
In a circular sent to parents on Nov 21, MindChamps said it is “business as usual” for the centre and added that it is starting its search for a suitable alternative venue before the end of 2026. The Straits Times has contacted MindChamps for comment.
Some parents of pupils enrolled there said it was a shame for the centre to move out of the site.
Mrs Ng, who wanted to be known only by her surname, said her daughters – aged five and seven – would miss using the club facilities that MindChamps pupils have access to. As her daughters are “Covid-19 babies”, the business owner in her mid-40s liked how facilities such as the pool gave them opportunities to spend time outdoors.
For Mr Eugene Low, 42, whose Primary 2 daughter studies at Singapore Chinese Girls’ School nearby, the centre’s after-school care programme and transport arrangements bring great convenience to him.
The client solutions manager said he would decide on the next steps only upon receiving more information, since there is enough “reaction time” before 2026 comes.
Some of the club’s staff, such as Ms Malathi Mohan, were shocked by the news.
The 34-year-old has been working as a cleaner at the club for the past five years, and heard about its lease expiry through the news.
She is still waiting to be notified about the club’s plans, so she can start looking for another job if necessary.
Ms Marymay, who is the outlet manager at the club’s cafe and terrace restaurant and in her 60s, said the cafe’s staff will continue working as per normal till 2026. She is waiting for more information.
https://i.imgur.com/BjY939C.jpg
Club members who spoke to ST were not surprised by the lease expiry, but raised concerns about the value of their memberships.
Many paid around $30,000 for their memberships, on top of monthly subscription fees ranging from $86.40 to $129.60.
They have not been informed about what will happen to their memberships after the club’s lease is up.
Financial adviser Tee Lim, 60, noted that the club’s facilities are not well maintained, with cracks along the swimming pool and dilapidation of the shower rooms. He wanted to sell his membership in the mid-2010s, but changed his mind due to the hefty transfer fee.
“The membership is a bad investment,” said Mr Lim. He is not looking to move to another club after 2026, as he can use facilities such as public swimming pools at alternative locations.
Retired semiconductor sales manager Alan Chu, 65, said the arcade machines at the club’s video games room are underused as they are “old school” and “dated”. Mr Chu is among nearly 5,000 members who sued the club in 2005 for misrepresenting its status as a premier club – one of several legal tussles it has been embroiled in.
Having previously received compensation for damages for the decline in the value of his membership from that lawsuit, he feels it may be difficult for members to be compensated this time around.
Club membership broker Madeline Choo noted that if the club does not relocate, it is likely that no compensation will be provided to its members, since it is a proprietary club.
A proprietary club is one where members pay entrance and maintenance fees to use premises belonging to someone who earns profits from the club.
The future of Raffles Town Club remains uncertain. The club did not answer repeated queries about its plans after October 2026 for its staff and members, and whether it intends to relocate.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/nothing-can-replace-the-bond-raffles-town-club-crew-users-lament-site-s-future-redevelopment
https://i.imgur.com/2aArp9Y.jpg
24 November, 2023
SINGAPORE - Operating from the basement carpark of Raffles Town Club, Mr Anthony Tay has been providing car grooming services to members since the club opened in 2000, at the request of its then owners.
The 61-year-old’s customers are mostly club members who have been patronising his shop for more than two decades. These customers’ children, now adults, also get their cars polished by him.
On the club needing to vacate its premises for residential development when its lease ends in October 2026, he said: “I definitely feel sad. I’m used to serving all these familiar faces, and all of a sudden, I need to leave them. Nothing else can replace that kind of bond I have with my customers... They are like old friends to me.”
Mr Tay, who operates One Stop Car Beauty Centre alone, said he is paying a “comfortable rate” for rent compared with other places, allowing him to charge lower prices.
He said he would have to evaluate if he has “the energy to start all over again”.
The car groomer is hoping to move to another club’s premises, and is thinking of retirement if he cannot secure a central location with low rental rates.
On Nov 20, the authorities announced that the Raffles Town Club site in Plymouth Avenue, near Stevens MRT station, would be redeveloped to support future housing demand after the club’s 30-year lease ends on Oct 17, 2026.
Apart from the car grooming centre, the club’s facilities include a billiards room, a swimming pool and restaurants. It also houses guest rooms for overnight stays and a MindChamps childcare centre.
In a circular sent to parents on Nov 21, MindChamps said it is “business as usual” for the centre and added that it is starting its search for a suitable alternative venue before the end of 2026. The Straits Times has contacted MindChamps for comment.
Some parents of pupils enrolled there said it was a shame for the centre to move out of the site.
Mrs Ng, who wanted to be known only by her surname, said her daughters – aged five and seven – would miss using the club facilities that MindChamps pupils have access to. As her daughters are “Covid-19 babies”, the business owner in her mid-40s liked how facilities such as the pool gave them opportunities to spend time outdoors.
For Mr Eugene Low, 42, whose Primary 2 daughter studies at Singapore Chinese Girls’ School nearby, the centre’s after-school care programme and transport arrangements bring great convenience to him.
The client solutions manager said he would decide on the next steps only upon receiving more information, since there is enough “reaction time” before 2026 comes.
Some of the club’s staff, such as Ms Malathi Mohan, were shocked by the news.
The 34-year-old has been working as a cleaner at the club for the past five years, and heard about its lease expiry through the news.
She is still waiting to be notified about the club’s plans, so she can start looking for another job if necessary.
Ms Marymay, who is the outlet manager at the club’s cafe and terrace restaurant and in her 60s, said the cafe’s staff will continue working as per normal till 2026. She is waiting for more information.
https://i.imgur.com/BjY939C.jpg
Club members who spoke to ST were not surprised by the lease expiry, but raised concerns about the value of their memberships.
Many paid around $30,000 for their memberships, on top of monthly subscription fees ranging from $86.40 to $129.60.
They have not been informed about what will happen to their memberships after the club’s lease is up.
Financial adviser Tee Lim, 60, noted that the club’s facilities are not well maintained, with cracks along the swimming pool and dilapidation of the shower rooms. He wanted to sell his membership in the mid-2010s, but changed his mind due to the hefty transfer fee.
“The membership is a bad investment,” said Mr Lim. He is not looking to move to another club after 2026, as he can use facilities such as public swimming pools at alternative locations.
Retired semiconductor sales manager Alan Chu, 65, said the arcade machines at the club’s video games room are underused as they are “old school” and “dated”. Mr Chu is among nearly 5,000 members who sued the club in 2005 for misrepresenting its status as a premier club – one of several legal tussles it has been embroiled in.
Having previously received compensation for damages for the decline in the value of his membership from that lawsuit, he feels it may be difficult for members to be compensated this time around.
Club membership broker Madeline Choo noted that if the club does not relocate, it is likely that no compensation will be provided to its members, since it is a proprietary club.
A proprietary club is one where members pay entrance and maintenance fees to use premises belonging to someone who earns profits from the club.
The future of Raffles Town Club remains uncertain. The club did not answer repeated queries about its plans after October 2026 for its staff and members, and whether it intends to relocate.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/nothing-can-replace-the-bond-raffles-town-club-crew-users-lament-site-s-future-redevelopment