City Square Mall, City Development’s (CDL) shopping centre on Kitchener Road, opened in 2009. Some 16 years later, the mall is set to complete its $50 million asset enhancement initiative (AEI). The AEI, which commenced in 2023, adds about 26,000 sq ft of gross floor area to the mall.
The mall’s makeover leans into ‘‘retailtainment” – fusing retail with entertainment and other immersive features to provide customers an engaging and interactive experience.
A key highlight is Gastro Square, a new 24,000 sq ft dining destination on level four, featuring new F&B outlets, including Kok Sen Restaurant, Ippudo and Nong Geng Ji Hunan Home-Style Cuisine. Gastro Square also has a dedicated community space where programmes, workshops and community events will be held.
An event at Gastro Square (Picture: CDL)
As part of the revamp, interactive play zones have been installed across levels two, three and four with panels that can be spun and aligned to discover stories and facts behind City Square Mall’s history. At the Discovery Square on level five, shoppers have access to an interactive sequin wall where they can swipe and draw to create patterns or write messages.
Discovery Square (Picture: CDL)
Sustainability is also a major factor in the mall’s new features. At City Green, the mall’s urban park, a decommissioned SMRT train cabin has been repurposed into a solar-powered climate education platform. The zero-energy CDL EcoTrain features displays, exhibits, and workshops designed to foster environmental awareness among children and young people.
There is also the CDL MicroForest, a 2,800 sq ft regenerative tropical microforest designed to mitigate urban heat and enhance climate resilience. The forest was developed in collaboration with the National University of Singapore, with input from the National Parks Board.
Both the CDL EcoTrain and the CDL MicroForest were officially opened by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in March.
