Local boulder climbing gym to close on 7 July, citing failed negotiation with landlord

SINGAPORE: Bouldering gym Boruda has announced it will cease operations at its Alexandra Road outlet from 7 July 2025. The closure follows alleged unsuccessful discussions with its landlord, reportedly related to rental terms. In an Instagram post on 6 July, the gym shared, “After careful consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to cease operations at Boruda, effective 7 July 2025.” It cited the absence of a favourable resolution with the landlord as a key factor. “We’ve done our best to keep the gym running, but we’ve reached a point where continuing is no longer feasible without favourable resolutions from these discussions,” the statement read.

 

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Located at 991A Alexandra Road, the gym was established in September 2021. According to its official website, Boruda sought to introduce Singapore to the Japanese ethos of bouldering, which emphasises community and climbing culture. The Instagram post urged customers with active passes or memberships to continue using them at Boulder Planet Singapore’s other outlets. Staff will also be on hand to support users during this transition. The post did not clarify whether a rent hike directly caused the closure. A check on Google Maps already lists the site as “Permanently closed”.

Broader calls for rental reform

The closure has added to wider concerns about rising rental costs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in the retail and F&B sectors. Although the Urban Redevelopment Authority reported a 0.5 per cent dip in retail rents in the first quarter of 2025, the ground reality paints a grimmer picture. An average of 450 retail outlets shuttered every month during this period. A Reuters report from April noted that closures averaged 307 per month from January to April 2025, up from 254 in 2024 and about 230 per month in both 2023 and 2022. Last year alone saw the closure of over 3,000 F&B establishments – the highest number since 2005. In May, a bakery near Sembawang Road saw a 15% increase in rent, while a cake shop in Siglap faced a jump from S$5,400 to S$8,500—an increase of 57%—which led its owner to shut down. On 12 June, advocacy group Singapore Tenants United For Fairness (SGTUFF) called for urgent structural reforms to help SMEs stay afloat. Their recommendations include short-term relief and long-term policy recalibration. Among their proposals: rental caps tied to inflation and a national reassessment of urban planning and commercial land use priorities.