NCCC Malls will be investing around P4 billion for the construction of NCCC Mall Maa, which is expected to be completed by 2024.
In a virtual press conference on December 15, Althea Lucas, LTS Mall Inc. vice president, said the funding will be both sourced internally and through bank financing. However, she did not provide details on the percentage of internal funding and bank financing.
Rodolfo Saturos, assistant vice president for mall operations, said the groundbreaking of the mall was held last January 2020, but construction was delayed to November 2021 due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 disease.
“Estimated 30 to 36 months of construction period so we are looking for completion and opening in the 4th quarter of 2024,” said Saturos.
NCCC Mall Maa was designed by Asya Design. The architectural design of the mall embodies the habitat and way of life of the iconic Philippine Eagle.
With 28,223.24 square meters, the new mall can accommodate 200 shops, 823 parking slots, and a wide supermarket with a variety of products.
The new NCCC Mall Maa will have four floors. Among its features include The Nest skyline view, The Nook Asian-themed food court, Sky Gymnasium, and Entertainment Zone with cinemas, arcade, and bowling alleys.
The original structure of NCCC Mall Maa was destroyed in a fire accident in December 2017 that took the lives of 38 Dabawenyos.
To prevent the same incident from happening again, Saturos said the mall is compliant with the latest structural code and fire protection technology to ensure safety and security in the mall.
“As you can see in the design, there's also integration of the availability of fire trucks, hydrants, and automatic fire alarm detectors,” said Saturos.
Meanwhile, Lucas said the project considered the traffic situation in the area and incorporated an access road through the mall that will mitigate congestion in the McArthur highway and Maa road intersection.
“Part of the installation is that the mall complies with the latest setback requirements,” added Saturos. “(Through the access road) vehicles can actually access directly from Matina going directly to Maa without waiting for the traffic lights.”
In terms of workforce, Lucas said the management has already considered the previous employees of NCCC Mall Maa but clarified that all applicants will go through the same hiring process.
The mall will also implement environment-friendly initiatives,, particularly the prohibition of single-use and non-recyclable plastics in the establishment.