By Joy Fang

ASUBTERRANEAN shopping centre - Singapore's second after CityLink Mall - will open at the end of next year, as part of the Marina Bay Financial Centre's mall.

The 5,202 sq m shopping area that will be underground will be connected to the new Downtown MRT station, slated to open in 2013, and surrounding buildings.

The 8,598 sq m CityLink Mall, located next to City Hall MRTstation, opened in year 2000. Other underground shopping areas here include three Xchanges at  Raffles, Dhoby Ghaut and Tanjong Pagar MRT stations run by
SMRT, which also runs two Xchanges above ground. But their floor areas are smaller, at about 1,200 to 2,500 sqm.

The Raffles and Tanjong Pagar Xchanges are open on weekends, but not all tenants open for business, possibly due
to low traffic then, an SMRT spokesman said.

The Marina Bay Link Mall's retail and food-and-beverage outlets will be open every day from 10am to 10pm.

It will offer shopping and dining options to cater to office workers and residents, and will not compete with integrated resort Marina Bay Sands' luxury retail offerings, said its operator's  head of marketing in retail, Ms Rose Tong.

Marina Bay Sands, which is within walking distance of the financial centre, will open early next year with 300 shops.

Auditor Annie Seah, 25, often has to work late at One Raffles Quay during weekends.

"During weekends, it's like a dead city. Everything is closed, so there are very few food or shopping choices.

"With this new mall...I can arrange for my friends to meet me here on weekends," she said.

joyfang@sph.com.sg

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