SM breaks ground for upscale BPO tower

SCREENGRAB from www.smprime.com

Leading property developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. Friday broke ground for the latest project of the company’s Commercial Properties Group (CPG), the company said in a statement.

The 15-story Three E-com Center will rise on a prime location at SM’s flagship development—the 67-hectare Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex in Pasay City.

Three E-com Center was designed by Miami-based architectural firm, Arquitectonica. Its semicircular twin towers will have a total gross floor area (GFS) of 111,727 square meters.

“The BPO sector has been one of our major economic growth drivers and it has not exhibited signs of slowing down. This gives us the confidence and motivation to continue pursuing projects like this,” said Dave Rafael, senior vice president of SM Prime’s Commercial Properties Group.

Another structure, Five E-com Center, is one of six E-com buildings to rise at the Mall of Asia complex, offering working space for BPOs and other office tenants. Five E-Com is linked via bridgeways to One and Two E-com Center and the Mall of Asia North Parking building.

Five E-com Center will formally open in April 2015. A basement and two-level podium parking will be part of the 15-story structure, with offices from the fourth to 15th floors.

The fourth floor of Five E-com Center, Prism Plaza, features a landscaped deck and pond, which will contain both retail and office spaces. The gross floor area is estimated at 126,907 sqm.

Arquitectonica also designed the structure.

Three E-com and Five E-com are current additions to the six commercial buildings to be constructed under the E-com Centers project of SM Prime CPG. This is part of the company’s effort to transform the MOA complex into a prime business and entertainment site.

Apart from accommodating company-locators, the E-com Centers are also envisioned to host conferences, meetings and various social and corporate activities through “The Venue”—an events place, located at the Prism Plaza of Two E-com Center.

The Prism Plaza at Two E-com Center is a 5,000-sqm lifestyle center that offers casual dining restaurants, bars and cafes, interspersed with health and wellness centers.

The E-com Centers are easily accessible from the transportation hubs located across Mall of Asia. It is also a stone’s throw away from the main public transportation line, including the MRT, LRT and bus lines plying Edsa. A ferry terminal within the complex may also provide future opportunities for sea travel.

The Mall of Asia Complex is a few minutes away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City.