Shut Jurong West Hawker Centre and repurpose site

Ms Jamie Tan’s letter (“Stop cleaners from clearing tables at hawker centres that charge deposits for trays”; July 16) reminded me of the Jurong West Hawker Centre, which made headlines late last year for its tray deposits and slow business.

I have lived along Jurong West Street 74 for 23 years and am familiar with the area.

The main problem facing Jurong West Hawker Centre — which opened in October 2017 — could be the plethora of food-and-beverage (F&B) options in the area even before the food centre was conceived.

At Pioneer Mall, which is next to the hawker centre, there are eateries such as a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant and food court Koufu.

Five minutes by bus is the Jurong Point shopping complex, which has plenty of F&B offerings.

Have the Government and Hawker Management, the operator of the Jurong West Hawker Centre, realised that its woes could have resulted from the availability of too many alternatives nearby?

I would like to suggest that the Government consider closing the hawker centre.

It appears to be a loss-making investment. Turning a profit is almost impossible unless the competing food outlets nearby are shuttered, but this will not go down well with people.

Visiting the hawker centre on a Saturday night, I found most of the stalls shut and only a handful of patrons. By contrast, the nearby McDonald's and Koufu food court were packed with customers.

What is more, only two bus services — 243 and 258 — call at the area’s bus stop.

The Jurong West Hawker Centre is a white elephant and has no place in the area.

We should focus squarely on the biggest question: Is it financially viable?

It appears that it is not, and I hope the Government makes the right decision to close it and repurpose the site for other uses, such as building private residential apartments.

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