Yishun 10, Singapore’s first multiplex cinema, looks set to make way for a residential and commercial development, based on a proposed change to the site’s land use.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) published a proposed amendment to the Master Plan 2025 on May 8, involving the land parcel at 51 Yishun Central 1.

The site is currently occupied by Yishun 10, also known as Golden Village Yishun.

Commercial to residential

According to URA’s list of gazetted proposed amendments, the land parcel is being proposed for rezoning from “Commercial” to “Residential with Commercial at 1st Storey at GPR 3.0”, as well as from “Commercial” to “Road”, to facilitate a development proposal received by URA.

The written statement for the proposed amendment similarly stated that the site would be rezoned from a Commercial Zone to Residential.

Business as usual for now

The site is owned by Frasers Property, which also owns neighbouring mall Northpoint City.

In response to queries from Mothership, a spokesperson for Frasers Property said the group regularly explores potential uses for its existing properties as part of its ordinary course of business.

This includes “assessing the highest and best use of our sites”, the spokesperson said.

"Having full ownership of Yishun 10 positions us well to unlock redevelopment value. It is business as usual at Yishun 10."

“We will provide an update should any material development arise,” the spokesperson added.

Frasers Property acquired the cinema complex from Golden Village Multiplex for S$48 million in June 2025, reported The Business Times (BT).

Two months later, Frasers Property acquired the 10 strata lots in the building from Frasers Centrepoint Trust for S$34.5 million.

Possible residential units

Alan Cheong, executive director for research and consultancy at Savills Singapore, told The Straits Times (ST) that the site could yield 90 to 100 private residential units, and about 2,780 sqm of commercial space.

“Given that the site is located close to the Yishun MRT station and a bus interchange, the zeitgeist of the moment is for residential development,” Cheong said.

“Mixed developments that are in proximity to transport nodes carry high sale value,” he added.

BT cited a separate estimate from Huttons Asia senior director of data analytics Lee Sze Teck, who suggested that the potential residential development could be smaller, yielding about 20 units.

Opened in 1992 as Singapore’s first multiplex

Yishun 10 officially opened on May 27, 1992 in Yishun New Town as Singapore’s first multiplex.

The three-storey complex had 10 movie halls and 2,552 seats, giving cinema-goers more choices than before.

The S$37 million building had a floor area of 3,635 sqm and was designed by Australian architect Geoff Malone.

Malone was also a film buff and co-founder of the Singapore International Film Festival, and was known for designing several distinctive buildings in Singapore, including Yishun 10 and the Palisades condominium.

Malone delivered a futuristic building clad in metal and red, with motifs inspired by science fiction when given a brief to impress visitors with a design akin to “a rocket ship which had landed in Yishun from outer space.”

The cinema’s flamboyant design drew mixed reactions. Some critics reportedly called it a “monstrosity” that suffered from an “elephant-iasis of neon lights”.

In 2010, the cineplex underwent a renovation and returned with a more muted grey colour scheme. It was also renamed Golden Village Yishun.