City Square mall in JB undergoes revamp with hotel apartments, health and wellness hub

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An artists impression of the refreshed City Square facing the checkpoint along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak.

PHOTO: JBCS

SINGAPORE - Johor Bahru’s City Square, the shopping mall that is for many cross-border travellers a first and last port of call in southern Malaysian state Johor, is set to add new offerings including hotel accommodation and a health and wellness hub.

As part of its asset enhancement initiative, work on the mall started in November and is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2027, said the mall’s management, Johdaya Karya, in a release on Nov 3. The mall is expected to remain “fully operational” during the transformation, it added.

Some tenants, including bookstore Popular and home improvement retailer Mr DIY, had moved out of their retail spaces on City Square’s top levels earlier in 2025 to facilitate the renovation works.

City Square, built in the mid-1990s in Johor Bahru’s city centre, is connected to the Sultan Iskandar checkpoint, immigration and quarantine building by an overhead bridge.

Its advantageous location has meant that the shopping centre has become the first and last stop for many travellers crossing the border between Johor Bahru and Singapore.

In recent years, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic which temporarily shut international borders, City Square has faced competition from newer, shinier kids on the block including Mid Valley