Many flock to the thriving City of Bacolod for a number of reasons.
Tourists, for one, are drawn to its culinary treats as well as the heritage sites and museums within the city and neighboring areas, while investors are mostly attracted to Bacolod’s improving infrastructure, a conducive business climate and its warm, gentle people. Others simply revel in its unique vibe exuding from a seamless blend of old world charm and modern conveniences.
But there will soon be another reason to be in Bacolod City—one that is poised to become an architectural marvel, a welcome addition to the rich, colorful heritage of the city, and will surely be a new source of pride for the Negrenses.
The Upper East Mall, soon to rise within the 34-ha The Upper East township, is envisioned to become Bacolod’s architectural landmark and first “green” mall that will offer a well curated array of dining and retail options for the discerning Negrenses.
This P1.2-billion, three-level lifestyle mall is being put up by property giant Megaworld Corp., which is also developing The Upper East township in Bacolod City. Launched late last month, The Upper East Mall is set to cater to the Negrenses’ refined tastes and strong affinity for the sophisticated and finer things.
Property giant Megaworld is building the P1.2-billion Upper East Mall inside its 34-hectare The Upper East township in Bacolod City. To be completed in 2021, the three-level mall is envisioned to be the city’s new architectural landmark. Leading the unveiling of the mall’s design were (from left) Kevin L. Tan, chief strategy officer, Megaworld and Architect Raji Casas, design architect of CASAS+Architects.
“What we are building in The Upper East is not just an ordinary mall. We are curating an architectural masterpiece that depicts the cosmopolitan vibe of our Bacolod township. This is just the first mall that we are building in this township because there is still more room for future expansion,” said Megaworld chief strategy officer Kevin L. Tan.
Distinct features are set to make this 24,200-sqm space—which will be managed and operated by Megaworld Lifestyle Malls—stand out.
Its design, which showcases a blend of neo-classical and art deco architecture, reminiscent of New York City’s Upper East Side cityscape, will be highlighted by a 48-meter high iconic clock tower that illuminates even at night—making it a major architectural landmark along the six-lane main avenue of the township that stretches from Lopez Jaena Street to Circumferential Road.
Further highlighting this showpiece are its sustainable features including a solar panel roofing, energy efficient cooling system, escalators with eco-mode or crawl mode to reduce electricity consumption when not in use, a rainwater harvesting system, and a gray water recycling system wherein water discharged from the sewage treatment plant is used for secondary flushing of mall’s toilets and urinals.
The Upper East Mall will likewise house several rows of restaurants facing a garden of century-old trees that will be surrounded by Koi ponds, while its four state-of-the-art cinemas and an open-air Food Hall with an indoor garden will surely be a treat for the mall goers. To further ensure convenience and accessibility, the mall will be directly connected to the future Transport Hub of The Upper East township, and just across the central park facing the two residential condominium towers of One Regis and Two Regis.
“We are excited to see The Upper East transforming into a modern central business district (CBD) of Bacolod. In the next three to five years, we will see the residential towers, office towers, commercial buildings, hotel, church, parks, and this new lifestyle mall rising. We will also be opening the Upper East Avenue to the public in two years,” Tan added.
Aside from The Upper East for which Megaworld is investing P28 billion to develop, the company is simultaneously completing its 54-ha Northill Gateway township located along the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road within the boundary of Talisay City and Bacolod City. The said township will also have its own lifestyle mall called Northill Town Center beside the residential villages of Forbes Hill and Fountain Grove.
Megaworld, the country’s largest developer of integrated urban townships, is indeed betting big on Bacolod City, where its footprint will expand significantly upon completion of these projects, and where residents will soon benefit from its signature live-work-play concept.
