The iconic Siewdor Apartments, popularly known as Siewdor Mansion, in Brickfields used to house the creme of KL society. Now its tenants have been given less than two months to clear out the building.
More than 100 tenants occupying the aging apartment block, built in 1963, were informed by the owners Siewdor Properties Sdn Bhd that the building has been sold last month and that they had until the end of March to vacate the premises.
Siewdor Mansion was one of the first high-rise buildings in the Brickfields district, housing an upscale clientele who could afford the then-high rental of RM220 a month. The apartment block has since been eclipsed by rapid development in the area, particularly by the KL Sentral project right across the street and the Brickfields urban renewal initiative. Today, the rental rate for a unit in the building starts from RM1500 a month.
Building manager Lian Chee Tong, who has been administering the building’s upkeep operations since 1969, confirmed the block has been sold, but did not know for what amount, or who the purchaser was.
A few tenants who spoke to StarMetro said there were rumours the place was going to be turned into a hostel while other rumours said the complex was going to be developed into a multi-storey commercial unit.
The apartments had stopped taking in new tenants three years ago, to prepare for the possibility of selling the building should a suitable offer be made.
Source: The Star Online
