By Mia A. Aznar
Monday, April 11, 2011
AS part of their 30-hectare development at the South Road Properties, SM Prime Holdings unveiled its next mall project in Cebu called the SM Seaside City Cebu.
SM Prime president Hans T. Sy told reporters that the new mall will have an “ultra-modern” design to bring in the young market and that they hope to make the mall the “shopping capital” of the south.
A glass cube lit wit LED lights will be built in front to “add visual drama.”
Sy said that they aim to include something different in the mall such as a sky garden similar to the SM North Edsa and an “iconic” viewing tower that is 100 meters tall.
He hopes the tower will be a structure that people will talk about, similar to the
metallic globe that they built in front of the SM Mall of Asia (MOA).
Though it is about half the size of the SM Mall of Asia, Sy said it will be larger than the current SM City Cebu at the North Reclamation Area. He explained that the 30 hectares is also just half the size of the MOA property.
The mall will have a circular shape and four floors for over 800 rertail and food shops. They plan to include a two-storey department store, an SM Hypermart branch, five 300-seat movie theaters, an IMAX theater with over 500 seating capacity, an 18-lane bowling center, food court and an ice skating rink.
They will have a separate theater for stage plays and concerts and a covered event area at the fourth level. The covered parking lot will hold over 2,000 slots.
To showcase Cebuano works, a furniture zone and fashion boulevard will also be included in the area.
The mall is slated to open by the second quarter of 2013.
Approval
Sy said they officially began last Friday, starting with a road project.
They will also be building a church in the property, which is described as a “sleek, modern, all-white structure.”
Sy told reporters Friday that they already secured approval from the Cebu Archbishop’s office for the constuction of the church within the complex.
After the mall is completed, Sy said they will start working on a hotel and residences. He also hopes to build a hospital in the area, and possibly, a school.
He noted that if the complex becomes a prime residential area, a hospital and a school would fit well in the community.
The mall project is estimated at P4.5 billion.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on April 11, 2011.
