On the right hand side is the formally EMPRESS Cinema now converted EMPRESS shopping stalls. The old EMPRESS Cinema has been a popular public place until 1970s.

On the right behind EMPRESS is North Borneo Hotel, one of the oldest hotel in Tawau since 1960s.

On the left is the Sabindu Shopping area, an new shopping area mark the beginning of modern Tawau in the 1970s.

Right in the middle is an illegal shop build without approval by government.  This block of land is reserved as Open Space for the public. What supposed to be a public Open Space turned out to be illegal shop building blocking traffic right in the middle of the road Jalan Dunlop. Only when the local Tawau residents reported to the State Government, then the State Court found out this local corruption case and stopped this illegal construction.  Action taken too slow, 2 floors had been constructed. Since then for the last 6 years, this ugly building remain blocking the main traffic of Tawau and an eye sore to the tourists in town.

1) Chronicle of Sabindo Open Space in Tawau
2) In Defence of Open Spaces

The five open spaces sites under Tawau Municipality