SM Prime launches SM Seaside City Cebu

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. recently held a ground breaking ceremony at the South Road Properties.

Hans T. Sy, SM Prime Holdings president and Jeffrey Lim, executive vice president of SM Prime, together with Cong. Tomas Osmeña, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, and Archt. William Coscolluela led the burying of the time capsule carrying the development plan of the mall, invitation to the grand launch of the mall, and newspaper clippings of the day.

A new mall, aptly called SM Seaside City Cebu will be one of the first developments in the masterplan of SM Properties for their 304,100 sq. m. site, which stretches from the northern part of the SRP to the sea.

Designed by Arquitectonica, an international architecture, interior design and planning firm from Miami, Florida, the grand, first-of-its-kind urban development at the SRP will dramatically change the landscape of the city with its nautilus-inspired design of expanding, concentric arcs from a central multi-purpose space.

A large church–a sleek, modern all-white structure nestled among lush foliage–will be the first to be built and completed in the SM SRP complex.

Hotels, a conference and convention center, residential buildings and community facilities will follow, and will be designed to span out from the SM Seaside City Cebu mall, which will be located at the center of the entire development. The mall will be interconnected with these other structures through elevated walkways.

With a lot area of 93, 570 sq. m. and a gross floor area of 291, 043 sq. m., SM Seaside City Cebu will be a 4-level, circular-shaped, world-class retail mall with multiple anchors, including a two-storey SM Department Store and SM Hypermart, a 5-theater Cineplex and IMAX Theatre, an 18-lane SM Bowling and Amusement Center, and a food court flanking an ice skating rink. In addition, the mall will have over 800 food and retail shops, including international brands.

Retail shops will occupy the outer arc of the mall on the ground floor. This area will include a furniture zone as well as a fashion boulevard to showcase the talent of Cebu’s many local designers. Numerous new wining and dining outlets will face an inner circular garden, increasing in number as shoppers proceed to the higher floors. On the third floor, these outlets will have verandas facing the garden below while the fourth floor will have restaurants and bars on the outer circuit of the circle with verandas on the north side of the mall looking out to the sea. The mall will also have a covered event area for concerts and shows at the fourth floor as well as a roof garden with ponds and trees, and restaurants to enjoy the beauty of the greens from.

Keeping with the nautilus-inspired theme, the mall’s car park will be incorporated into the structure, helping to define the semi-circular volume of the building.

The mall’s layout induces traffic to flow inwards and upwards. The second-level garden has a drop-off area for private vehicles whereas public vehicles will have their own transport interchange at the ground level with different areas dedicated to taxis, public utilities and buses. The retail and food outlets at the ground level will be easily accessible to the riding public while service and delivery bays for tenants and SM anchors are set aside at strategic areas.

An Iconic Viewing Tower will be an attraction in itself, offering sensational panoramic views of the entire city of Cebu while serving as a new landmark for the city. SM Seaside City Cebu will be one of the first establishments to create an address in this district of metro Cebu, and will pave the way for development in the area.

At 6 p.m., SM Prime Holdings formally launched SM Seaside City Cebu at the Santa Maria Grand Ballroom of Radisson Blu Hotel. Businessmen from Cebu and Manila also came to witness the event.

“And I would also like to take this opportunity to share with you our latest project in your beautiful city - SM Seaside City Cebu. Just as SM City Cebu led the way for us to open supermalls in the provincial areas, SM City Seaside Cebu is envisioned to revolutionize malling in the Southern Philippines,” said Hans Sy during his speech.