BY SHILA NAIDU

THE glass doors that used to swing open to welcome many a weary backpacker into the quaint New 7th Storey Hotel are now bound by metal chains.

When my paper visited on Sunday, two notices were plastered on the doors. One was an official notice of land acquisition from the Singapore Land Authority. The other was a note from the hotel, which said: 'We are closed due to Gov't Acquisition'. Various attempts over one week to reach the hotel's operators to find out if the hotel would move to new premises or shut down completely were unsuccessful.

News broke on June 26 that the hotel's tenants and occupants would have to leave before year's end. This was to facilitate demolition works for the new Bugis MRT Station for the Downtown Line. Since then, there has been a flurry of media attention and negative responses from the public.

The Land Transport Authority confirmed that demolition is targeted for the first quarter of next year.

The iconic hotel, which was established in 1953, stood steadfast while skyscrapers sprang up around it, altering the area's landscape.

Its trademark tilt is caused by the shifting sands in its foundation, but the hotel remained structurally safe. Actually nine stories high, it was known for its manually-operated lift.

On Sunday, workers clearing the vacant 7th Storey Restaurant, located on the same grounds as the hotel, told my paper the hotel's tenants cleared out some time ago, but could not specify a date.

However, fans of the restaurant's Hainanese delicacies can visit their new premises at 8, Wilkie Road. Another branch of the restaurant, called 7th Storey Live Seafood & Charcoal Steamboat, is at Marina Barrage.

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