Robinsons Galleria mall boosts port area, tourism. (CDN PHOTO/ CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
Cebu’s retail landscape will see another major addition as Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) is set to open its biggest mall outside Manila by October this year.
Robinsons Galleria Cebu is being built at the Cebu North Reclamation Area, near Pier 4. It will be RLC’s third mall in Cebu, after Robinsons Place Cebu and Robinsons Cybergate.
Its operation is seen to boost economic activity in the port area and complement the local tourism industry.
RLC president Frederick Go said the mall is the second after 25 years to carry their flagship brand “Robinsons Galleria.”
The mall will have six levels. It will form part of a 4.7-hectare mixed-use development that includes a Summit hotel, an office building and three high-end residential condominium towers that will be called Galleria Residences Cebu.
Go said the entire development is estimated to cost over P6 billion.
As of Thursday last week, Go said 85 percent of the mall’s gross leasable space of about 10,000 square meters has been leased out.
The six-level mall offers a refreshing vista of the ocean outdoors as well as lush greenery and water features inside. It will feature an alfresco dining strip, two three-dimensional (3D) cinemas, four regular cinemas with ergonomically-designed chairs and the latest Atmos surround-sound system, and a giant guitar topiary in the central atrium.
The cinema, Robinsons Movieworld, will also have roomy lounges as well as an online booking system.
The company is also set to open one more mall in Antique and expand the mall in Novaliches, Quezon City.
RLC will end the year with a total of 42 malls, including three in Cebu.
Go said the company is actively scouting for properties that can be developed in Cebu.
He said they are aggressive about expanding in Cebu, where the market is expected to continue to grow.
“There is a need for additional land acquisitions as the robust opportunities in Cebu’s real estate sector cannot be downplayed,” he said.