Temporary closure of eCurve for upgrading works
Shopping malls are a dime a dozen in Malaysia, especially in KL where you have clusters of malls within walking distance of each other. But the closure of any shopping mall will have mall rats upset, as we have one less lepak spot to visit during our weekends.
So when eCurve in Damansara was reported by tenants to be permanently closing on 31st March 2021, many of us were hit hard by the news – especially since it was only quite recently that our favourite bookstores and cinemas had to close down due to loss of income during the pandemic. But after news of eCurve’s closure went viral, the mall’s management stepped in to make an announcement to say that the mall is undergoing redevelopment, and will only be temporarily closed.
eCurve to close from 31st March
eCurve – formerly called Cineleisure Damansara and e@Curve – in Mutiara Damansara was where many of us visited to patronise their array of tech stores and restaurants, as well as entertainment hubs such as MM Cineplexes and Ampang Superbowl.
So it came as a shock to many when news that the entertainment-centric shopping mall, which has been around for 14 years, would be closing their doors at the end of March made its rounds on Facebook pages.
One of them was Malaysia Shopping Mall, which shared that an unnamed tenant received verbal notice of the mall’s closure. The post quickly went viral online. Other Facebook pages and news outlets picked up on the news as well.
Image credit: @shani_ahmad_
Malay Mail also reported that a launderette tenant from the PJ mall had received closure notices in mid-February. The mall had waived rental fees for tenants during the start of the MCO in March for 2 months. But because of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the mall, and retailers and restaurants within, are still heavily impacted.
Only temporary closure for eCurve, with redevelopment plans
We did a check through several eCurve tenants’ social media pages and we found tenants, such as Ampang Superbowl Malaysia and The North Face Malaysia, announcing on their Facebook pages that their outlets in eCurve will indeed be closing after 5 and 9 years of being there respectively.
Image adapted from: Ampang Superbowl Malaysia and The North Face Malaysia
While many tenants will be moving out from eCurve, a report from Free Malaysia Today quoted the mall’s management as saying that the mall will only be closed temporarily for upgrading works. But the management has indeed issued closure notices to tenants to facilitate the mall’s new development plan.
Over 50 tenants will be affected by the upgrading works, including EpiCentre, MR D.I.Y, Tony Roma’s and The Manhattan Fish Market. It is uncertain whether they will return with the mall’s redevelopment, which has no set reopening date either. But The Curve, an adjacent shopping mall well-known for its eateries, will not be affected and will still be around for patrons to check out.
Image credit: @safeermtp
Closure for tenants as eCurve undergoes redevelopment on 31st March
This is not the first time we’re seeing the closure of a mall to facilitate rebranding and redevelopment to bring something fresh to consumers. Atria Shopping Centre – just a 10-minute drive from eCurve – underwent redevelopment works in 2011 that forced the closure of retailers and restaurants in the building too. The mall, originally built during the 80s and popular in the 90s, closed temporarily for revamping, and has since come back as a new, 5-story mall called Atria Shopping Gallery.
From the management’s statement, it seems like eCurve will be undergoing the same type of redevelopment works come 31st March. So while we won’t get to visit the hub of retailers and entertainment spots in the shopping mall for now, we can look forward to new spots once it does reopen.
More news here:
- M’sian cinemas trend #ReopenCinemas after a year of forced hiatus
- Up to RM10,000 fines for those violating MCO-related guidelines
- Vaccination rollout in M’sia starts, with registrations open on 1st March to all
Cover image adapted from: Ecurve and @safeermtp