Canninghill Piers Location

Situated in Clarke Quay, Canninghill Piers is right in the middle of one of Singapore’s most popular riverfront entertainment and lifestyle precincts. That places it right on the fringe of the Central Business District, and along the river promenade.

Canninghill Piers is easily accessible to public transport with direct link to Fort Canning MRT station, and a short walk to Clarke Quay MRT station on the North East line. For those who are craving for a spot of greenery, a pedestrian bridge provides direct access to Fort Canning Park.

Canninghill Piers (learn more about the project here) is situated in an area where plenty of services are available. There are several nearby shopping centers that cater to residents around District 09, and shoppers who are looking for a wide variety of foreign brands or amenities are very common in the city. Most of the malls are situated either nearby or a short drive away, so at your doorstep there is comfort. A wide range of stores such as food, healthcare, shopping, retail and other types of entertainment will be present in the malls located near Canninghill Piers. For shoppers located near Canninghill Piers, the stores have a full shopping experience.

Liang Court is the building expected to make way for the development of Canninghill Piers. The complex used to sit within the River Valley Road, Singapore River, and Clarke Quay neighborhood. The neighborhood is in Singapore’s Core Central Region (CCR). The region is the best place to invest compared to the other regions. There are three main regions, according to The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore. They include CCR, OCR, and RCR.

Liang Court’s Development

Wuthelam Group and Daimaru Inc developed Liang Court together.
Liang Court was the first big mall along River Valley Road when it opened in January 1984. It had a total retail floor area of 23,656 m2(254,631 square feet). The complex officially closed on 1st April 2020.

The First Businesses on Liang Court

Liang Court housed prominent businesses like Daimaru ( a Japanese departmental store), Kinokuniya ( a Japanese bookshop), and TungLock Signatures (a Chinese restaurant). Liang Court had more than 60 specialty clients. It also featured hotel Novotel Clarke Quay, Somerset Liang Court Regency, and Hotel New Otani. Liang Court Regency and Hotel New Otani were two 25-story buildings above Liang Court.

Tenants of Liang Court

Over the years, tenants came and left while others even changed ownership, including Liang Court itself. For example, Daimaru closed in 2003 because of low sales or restructuring. Audio House took over the department store while Maidi-Ya took over the supermarket. However, Audio House closed in August 2016.

As 2004 came to an end, Accor Hotels became the new managers of Hotel New Otani. They later changed its name to Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay. In 2000, Rainforest Cafe also leased space among the lower floors in Liang Court. However, the business experienced a decline in patronage which forced them to close down in 2004.

In 2013, Kinokuniya’s 32-year lease came to an end, and the restaurant closed down. Some other shops and restaurants left Liang court that same year. On the other hand, Uniqlo rented out space on the ground floor in the same year.

All the businesses in Liang Court eventually closed by 1st April 2020, when Liang Court officially closed.

The Sale & Resale of Liang Court

Liang Court has been sold three times. Pidemco Land was the first to acquire Liang Court in 1999. They later sold it in 2006 to Asia Retail Management Fund (ARMF). Liang Court experienced a decline in business, forcing ARMF to sell the mall in March 2019 to a joint venture. The joint venture was originally made up of CapitaLand and City Developments Limited. Ascott Residence Trust (ART) later joined the venture.

Refurbishments in Liang Court

Liang Court did experience some significant refurbishment under Asia Retail Management Fund (ARMF) management which took over in 2006. Refurbishments began in 2007, and ARMF also tried to reposition Liang Court’s image in the market.

Most significantly, they reconfigured Daimaru’s former space into small shops. They relocated Audiohouse (which had replaced Daimaru’s department store) to level 4 to make room for the reconfiguration. During the refurbishment, basement shops made way for Japanese restaurants and shops. It became a favorite location for Japanese expatriates and other residents within the area. ARMF completed the refurbishment in 2010.

Redevelopment of Liang Court

Liang Court is redeveloped by the new owners, including CapitaLand, City Developments Limited, and Ascott Residence Trust (ART). First, the name of the complex will change from Liang Court to Canninghill Piers. The new owners also started the demolition works on Liang Court and is expected to finish by Mid 2021. They expect to complete the construction of the new complex in 2024. However, they will open it in phases before that.

The new complex, Canninghill Piers, will be an integrated development for multiple uses. Canninghill Piers is set to have a gross floor area of 106,263 sq m. It will have a 2-story retail podium, two residential towers which will house 700 condos, Somerset serviced residence with 192 units, and a Hotel with the Moxy brand. The hotel will be under Marriott International management.