One night only: Singaporeans bid farewell to Golden Mile Complex with 'last mile' party

A sombre day awaits those with ties to this architectural and cultural symbol sitting along Beach Road.

Come May 1, the tenants and vendors of Golden Mile Complex will vacate the premises after the landmark was sold en bloc for $700 million to a consortium last May.

People headed down to the iconic building, also known as Little Thailand, last Saturday (March 4) for one final hurrah.

The farewell event, aptly titled The Last Mile, started at 7.30pm and stretched all the way to four in the morning.

What's a send-off without a big party, right? 

Apart from its affinity with the Thai community in Singapore, Golden Mile Complex also holds a special place in the hearts of photographers, skaters, musicians and dancers.

This compelled the event organisers to put togeter a tribute to this unique landmark.

The line-up of 13 local collectives featured music performances from Pushin' on, Good Times and Super Enjoy. 

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@femalesingapore/video/7206971120732425478[/embed]

On Sunday, Female Singapore shared a 24-second clip of Singaporeans soaking in the atmosphere of the event.

Whether it's gathering at food stalls for Thai grub or breaking a sweat on the dance floor, The Last Mile looked like it did not disappoint.

Amidst all that was an impromptu mobile karaoke session where friends and strangers sang to a Carpenters' classic, Top of the World.

The singing wasn't quite on point but with the number of beer cans in hand, that shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

In a separate TikTok video, a woman admitted she had a hard time appreciating the music played at the event.

But then she bumped into her polytechnic lecturer, hung out with her throughout the night and thoroughly enjoyed herself.

History and future

HDB's Urban Renewal Department built Golden Mile Complex in 1973.

It was one of the first mixed-use developments, with commercial and residential interests blending together.

In a statement after the en bloc sale, the consortium said the existing building will be "sensitively restored", with special attention paid to retaining its key features, The Straits Times reported.

Tenants have been slowly relocating since the successful sale, with Thai Supermarket set to close on April 9.

It is likely to reopen at the end of April or early May in Aperia at Kallang.

ALSO READ: 'Other places won't have the same Thai vibe': Golden Mile Complex's F&B outlets talk about their plans after the en bloc sale

amierul@asiaone.com

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