A NEW cinema complex will open for business in Kallang in January, but it won't be run by any of the established movie exhibitors.

Instead, it will be run by 'a subsidiary of Jack Investment', says Mr Lim Swee Teck, the project director from the company.

Jack Investment is owned by real estate veteran Han Chee Juan. He developed landed housing projects like The Teneriffe in Bukit Timah and owns heartland shopping malls such as West Coast Recreation Centre, Woodlands Point and 600@Toa Payoh.

The six-hall, 830-seat cineplex - which is yet to be named - occupies 20,000 sq ft on the third storey of the newly built Leisure Park Kallang.

The latter, which is also owned by Jack Investment, is next to the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Exhibitors Golden Village and Overseas said they were not approached to run the cinema. Cathay Organisation president Suhaimi Rafdi said it declined because it was in the process of embarking on a project in the Middle East.

At press time, Shaw and Eng Wah could not be reached for comment.

Asked if there were ever plans to lease the property to movie exhibitors, Mr Lim says: 'Proposals from other interested parties were received and evaluated prior to Jack Investment deciding to developing its own line of cineplex.'

As for the roster of films to be screened at the cineplex, Life! understands that Jack Investment had recently approached at least two players, United International Pictures and Warner-Fox, for their titles.

Mr Lim adds that the estimated volume of human traffic for the cineplex is 7,000 to 8,000 per week, with $300,000 to $400,000 in projected monthly ticket sales.

Leisure Park Kallang is a $70-million shopping mall and entertainment hub. It boasts 210,000 sq ft of floor space with more than 100 retail shops over five storeys.

Designed by local firm DP Architects, the futuristic-looking mall also houses Kallang Bowl, a 22-lane bowling alley, and Kallang Ice World, a 10,500 sq ft skating rink - the biggest in Singapore.

Other tenants include supermarket giant Cold Storage, Pastamania, Watson's and Coffee Bean.

When Life! visited the mall on Thursday night, only Cold Storage, the skating rink, the bowling alley and a few eateries were open. The other shops are scheduled to open by Dec 1.

In 1989, Jack Investment bought the mall - formerly known as Leisure Drome - from the Jack Chia-MPH Group for $33 million.

It was renovated in phases at a cost of $18 million. Three years ago, the mall was torn down for a new building.

Industry observers say the new cineplex will benefit from the expected boom when the Circle Line and new Sports Hub are ready.

The new MRT line, which will link the city and the Kallang vicinity, should be ready by 2010. The Sports Hub, to be ready by 2011, will include a new 55,000-seat National Stadium, a 6,000-seat indoor Aquatic Centre and a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena.

Meanwhile, there are more cineplexes scheduled to open in the coming months.

Cathay will unveil its six-screen E! Hub cineplex at the NTUC-owned Downtown East entertainment resort in Pasir Ris some time after Chinese New Year, says a spokesman.

Meanwhile, a 130-seater, single-hall cinema, Sinema Old School, will open at Mount Sophia on Dec 12.

A collaborative effort between film-makers Randy Ang and Nicholas Chee and creative arts hub Old School, it is touted as Singapore's first and only independent cinema devoted to screening home-grown films.