Looking to Harbour Development:

When The Cool Docks opened four years ago, a buzz filled the air. Blending Shanghai old and new with the iconic vista of Lujiazui in the background, the development promised to give Xintiandi and Tianzifang a run for their money. However, four years later, the development has yet to reach such heights, still striving to find its place in the cutthroat world of Shanghai property development. But it is coming, and with summer just around the corner, there are plenty of reasons to head down to one of Shanghai’s sleepier spots.

Once containing the wharf and warehouses for Shanghai’s rough and tumble traders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, The Cool Docks opened four years ago with aspirations to be Shanghai’s hottest new development. And while the area still has its share of patrons, it’s far from the booming destination that it was touted to be.

Walking through the complex, one feels as if they are stuck in a state of limbo somewhere between the area’s dilapidated past and its potential future as an urban complex for the young and fashionable. Along Waima Lu, the road which divides The Cool Docks proper from its sister development Wharf 1846, one sees the warehouses and shikumen looking exactly as they did decades ago. From there radiates a sleepy aura which mixes with the rest of the development’s Xintiandi-style chic. And for some tenants, this is the perfect environment in which to operate their businesses.

“I love the vibe of the area. With the docks and the warehouses, you have these brutal, industrial exteriors,” says Loh Lik Peng, owner of The Waterhouse, a boutique hotel which was one of the first tenants to settle in the area. The Waterhouse plays on the quirky dilapidated charm of its surroundings, combining a minimalist industrial feel with luxury hotel comfort. “It embodies the spirit of what we are going for.”

In a way, the hotel’s worn original concrete façade stands in defiance to what lies across the street. With regards to his neighbours, Peng is concerned that as the area gentrifies, it will reflect less and less the kind of environment that inspired The Waterhouse. “All of these waterside warehouses are big for developers. If they change them too much, it could spoil the character of our building.” And while he notes that further change might put The Waterhouse at a disadvantage aesthetically, Peng remains positive. “People don’t want to come to your place unless you’re doing something nice and fancy there. It's what it is. It’s good for the neighbourhood in the long term.”

While the lag in development at The Cool Docks suits The Waterhouse’s character, other tenants have found the lag to be less than satisfying. Stefan Stiller, owner and managing director of Stiller’s Restaurant and Cooking School, a fine dining rooftop restaurant in The Cool Docks, reflects, “One of the problems in Shanghai with property developers is that they tell you big stories, but only maybe 10% of them come true. When we signed a contract four years ago, we were told that the entire waterfront would be developed by 2012.” Stiller says that he has seen the tenants around him come and go, in some locations as many as three times over, finding themselves unable to sustain their businesses. Luckily for Stiller, this hasn’t been a problem. “For us, [the slow development] hasn’t made a difference. We already had a style and a concept going that allows us to be a destination.”

If he had the ability to choose again, Stiller says that he would “seriously reconsider” his decision, but also notes that the space he currently occupies isn’t without its advantages. “At the time [of moving here], there were some options in the [former] French Concession, but it would have meant dealing with older buildings and less floor space. Here, at least, we have plenty of space.” And for anyone looking to invest in a restaurant now at The Cool Docks, Stiller’s advice is that they “already have an established name or deep pockets. Most of these smaller places rely on a concept that somebody sees them as they are walking by. And why would somebody care to come out here when they can see plenty of new concepts in the [former] French Concession?”

Taking Stiller’s advice, both Bubba’s and Toni & Guy are two businesses with an already established name, looking to ride the wave of The Cool Docks’ development, as slow as it may be. Co-owner and ‘pit boss’ Kennneth Joe Walker is optimistic about the third iteration of his Texas-style barbecue joint, Bubba’s. Facing the water, it has the potential to give patrons authentic American style cook-outs with world class views. However, the waterfront is still under construction and nowhere near linking up to the The Bund walkway, one of the developer’s key selling points.

Still, Walker remains hopeful. “If you look at the biggest cities around the world, they all have a waterfront area full of restaurants and for Shanghai this will be it.” And Walker isn’t alone. In the Wharf 1846 complex along with him comes the established Shanghai pizza chain, New York Pizza, as well as newcomers such as The Steak and Oyster, Rico Rico (from the folks behind Mistral and Bikes and Friends) and Overtime (a German beer bar). If Walker has been drinking the kool-aid, it’s clear that he’s not the only one.

And even if the promises of developers are years away, Walker and the owners of other F&B outlets in the area are doing what they can to build a community to sustain them. Last month, Bubba’s teamed up with Rico Rico, Bravo, Mr. and Mrs. Bund and The Steak and Oyster Bar for the inaugural oyster festival at The Cool Docks. And for Walker this is only the beginning. “Eventually I will move more [Bubba’s] events here. But we’ve got to be ready first. The [annual] BBQ cook-off attracts around 800 to 1,000 people. This year we’re having it at Bubba’s Expo Village, but next year we might do it here.”

Toni & Guy’s managing director Eric Choong also sees the hair salon investing in a more community oriented atmosphere at The Cool Docks. The four storey complex in which Toni & Guy sits holds not just a hair salon, but also a stylist training facility as well as a restaurant, bar and art gallery. “We want all of these things to blend into a kind of lifestyle offering, to make things more personalised. While you get your hair done, you can get whatever drink you want and order up some food for when you’re done,” says Choong.

As for the rest of the development, Choong, like many of the other tenants, is enamoured with the view and the feel of the area, but also envisions the area as “more young, affordable and full of more variety” when compared with The Bund just up the road. But when will that happen? Like everyone, Choong is excited by the prospect, but he’s not holding his breath. “We don’t know how long we’ll wait for this.”

The Waterhouse, 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Waima Lu, Tel: 6080 2988, Web: waterhouseshanghai.com

Stiller’s, The Cool Docks, Block 13, 7F, 505 Zhongshan Nan Lu, near Fuxing Dong Lu, Tel: 6152 6501, Web: www.stillers-restaurant.cn

Bubba’s at the Beach, The Cool Docks 2, Wharf 1846, Block 4, 653 Waima Lu, near Wangjiamatou Lu, Tel: 5302 7588, Web: www.bubbasasia.com

Toni & Guy Academy & Salons, The Cool Docks, Block 7, 3F, 505 Zhongshan Nan Lu, near Maojiayuan Lu, Tel: 5047 2805, Web: www.toniandguy.com