Cheapside in jeopardy

Old-school charm: A man walking past stalls selling hardware items at Lorong Cheapside. The businesses are at risk of being closed down as the traders face eviction from their nearby homes.

GEORGE TOWN: Famed for its stalls selling hardware and household items, the unique attraction at Lorong Cheapside, off Chulia Street here, may soon become a thing of the past because the traders are facing eviction from their nearby homes.

The tenants of a row of six double-storey pre-war shophouses in the lane, one of the few remaining residential neighbourhoods in the inner city, were recently issued with eviction notices by the building’s owner who plans to sell the property.