Zouk granted additional time for relocation

SINGAPORE — Zouk will be allowed to remain at its current location at Jiak Kim Street until the end of 2017, if the club is able to find a new location by June 30, 2015.

But if the club chooses not to, or is unable to secure a new location by the end of June next year, its tenancy at Jiak Kim Street will expire on Dec 31, 2015, said the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

The authorities today announced the extension of time to facilitate Zouk's relocation from Jiak Kim Street. The club's current tenancy terminates on Dec 31 this year. 

The latest extension comes on top of repeated extensions since June 2012 to provide more time for Zouk to find a suitable alternative location.

“An extension up to 2017 will give Zouk sufficient time to undertake renovations or to plan and construct a new structure to house the club at a new site,” said the SLA, STB and URA in its joint release.

In arriving at the decision to grant the conditional extension, the three organisations said it had considered the concerns of residents living in the predominantly residential area, as well as Zouk’s contribution to Singapore’s reputation in the international entertainment scene in arriving at the decision to grant the conditional extension.

“The decision aims to strike a balance between giving Zouk the time it needs to relocate, while providing residents with a degree of certainty regarding plans for the area,” the joint statement added.

CORRECTION: The article previously reported that Zouk would get an extension of its lease if the club is unable to find a new location. This is wrong. Zouk will be given an extension of its lease if it is able to find a new location by June 30, 2015.