Popular local nightclub Zouk will shut down at the end of the year, unless it finds a new home in Clarke Quay. A Zouk spokesperson has confirmed to the media that it is in discussions about a possible relocation to a Clarke Quay space, which was formerly occupied by clubs Zirca and Ministry of Sound.
But Zouk says that clubbers shouldn't rejoice just yet. The deal has not been finalized, they say.
Yet Zouk has only till the end of this month to inform the Urban Redevelopment Authority that it has found a new site for the club, or risk losing its lease at its current space at Jiak Kim Street by the end of this year. If Zouk can secure the new site, the URA says that it will extend its lease in the current Jiak Sim Street premises to 2017.
A URA spokesperson says that the government has been extending Zouk's lease several times since it last expired in June 2012. The URA says that Zouk's presence would be incompatible with future plans to develop the Robertson Quay area into a more densely residential zone.
Former Zouk insiders have also expressed their reservations about the move to Clarke Quay. Zouk's former marketing manager Mr Andrew Ing said that one of the most important factors of Zouk's success is its current standalone location in Jiak Kim Street.
"It created its own magic," said Mr Ing. "I am not sure how Clarke Quay matches the philosophy when Zouk has to share the space with others... I am not saying that it won't be successful but Jiak Kim Street is where I could connect with the brand."