PinoyTambayan

SM MALL OF GENSAN!

Barely two weeks ago, GenSan City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio finally got a glimpse of how her city’s next mall will look like.

The design team of the upcoming SM City GenSan composed of representatives fromMonolith Construction Dev. Corp, general contractor; Jose Siao Ling & Associates, architect; and D.A. Abcede & Associates, project manager,   paid her a visit at her office at the City Hall.  They were accompanied by GenSan Chamber prexy Jan Ced and Architect Michael Ang, project coordinator for SM City GenSan.

"SM CITY GENSAN ARCHITECT JOSE SIAO LING PRESENTS SM CITY GENSAN'S PERSPECTIVES AND PLANS TO GENSAN MAYOR DARLENE CUSTODIO AS ENGR. DENNIS ABCEDE JR. (VP, DAA ASSOCIATES) & ENGR. LITO BABASA (CONSTRUCTION MGR, DAA ASSO) LOOK ON."

It was there that the group headed by SM City Gensan Architect Jose Siao Ling, presented her with the perspectives, floor plans and blue prints of one of the most-anticipated projects in South Central Mindanao.  Assisting him in the presentation were Engr. Dennis Abcede, Jr. (D.A.Abecede & Associates VP) and Engr. Mariano T. See Diet (Monolith Construction Dev. Corp. EVP/Gen Manager).

"(LEFT TO RIGHT. PHOTO SHOWS RUDY T. CHUA (DIRECTOR, QUALITY PRE-CAST CONCRETE), ARCHITECT MICHAEL ANG (PROJECT COORDINATOR FOR SM CITY GENSAN), ENGR. DENNIS ABCEDE JR. (VP, DENNIS ABCEDE & ASSOCIATES), ARCHITECT JOSE SIAO LING (PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT, JOSE SIAO LING & ASSOCIATES), MAYOR DARLENE ANTONINO-CUSTODIO, ENGR. MARIANO T. SEE DIET (EVP, MONOLITY CONSTRUCTION DEV. CORP), ENGR LITO BABASA (CONSTRUCTION MNGR, DAA & ASSOCIATES), ENGR JESTON MANANGUETE (GEN. CONTRACTOR, PROJECT MNGR), ENGR VICTORIANO OSIAS (FORMWORKS ENGR, MCDC), AND MR. JAN CED (PRES, GENSAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE).

Mayor Custodio was visibly impressed with the SM City GenSan perspectives and designs and stayed longer for the dialogue which followed which tackled traffic management, sewerage system, garbage handling, employment opportunities and tax incentives, among other topics.  Together with the mayor were City Administator Atty. Jong Gonzales and Chief of Staff Myrna Mejorada.

According to the SM Team, the two-story mall will cover a total of 100,000 sq. meters of floor space, which is bigger than SM City Davao’s 80,000 sq. meters.

Its main frontage will face San Miguel Street which will be widened into a four-lane avenue.  To see where it is, click this—> SM City GenSan location.

SM Prime Holdings has already acquired a portion of the triangular lot straddling J. Catolico Avenue and San Miguel Street for this plan.  It will also provide the traffic signal system at the junction of Santiago Boulevard and San Miguel.

"THE SM CITY GENSAN PERSPECTIVE OF ITS FRONTAGE FACING SAN MIGUEL STREET."

Very noticeable in the perspectives presented to the mayor is the uniquely designed logo of the mall which displays a bigger and more prominent rendering of the words “GENERAL SANTOS“.  From Architect Jose Siao Ling came the answer that the emphasis on the Tuna Capital’s name was due to their knowledge that the people of GenSan are extremely proud of their famous city and this is SM’s way of solidifying it.

(Upon hearing this, Bariles who noted the peculiarity could only gasp, “Whoa GenSan!”)

At the Santiago Boulevard side of  SM City GenSan is their terminal for public vehicles like jeeps, vans and probably (as suggested by Mayor Custodio), parking for trucks which are usually the vehicles of choice of excursionists and shoppers from the rest of the region.

For sure, the mayor quipped, once SM City GenSan opens, there will be a beeline of these vehicles to the Tuna Capital and the mall should be ready for this.

"THIS IS THE SM CITY GENSAN PERSPECTIVE OF ITS LEFT SIDE. TAKE NOTE OF THE SECOND FLOOR BALCONY, A FEATURE PRESENT IN NEWER SM MALLS AND THUS DOING AWAY WITH THE BORING BOX STRUCTURES."

To help enliven GenSan’s night life and cement its reputation as Region 12′s entertainment capital, SM City General Santos will house its Al Fresco restaurants and bars on the other side of the mall which will also operate until midnight similar to Robinsons Place.   Their row of dining establishments promises a refreshing and relaxing ambience since at its center will be a large dancing fountain, an important water element in the newer malls of today.

To top it all, all the four cinemas of SM City GenSan at the second floor will be 3D-equipped.

Ground breaking and fencing of the compound will start immediatly after September 10, 2010 and based on the design team’s estimates,  construction will be finished by 10 months at the very least.

This means therefore, that aside from Robinsons Place GenSan, KCC Mall of GenSan and Gaisano City GenSan, the people of Soccksargen will have another shopping destination in time for Christmas 2011 – and its name is SM City General Santos.