Megaworld, the country’s largest developer of integrated urban townships, is building Bacolod’s first “green” mall inside its 34-hectare The Upper East township in Bacolod City. Megaworld is allocating P1.2-billion to build the Upper East Mall, which forms part of the P28-billion capital spending that the company earlier announced.
The three-level Upper East Mall will have a gross floor area of 24,200-square meters and will showcase a blend of neo-classical and art deco architecture, reminiscent of New York City’s Upper East Side cityscape. The mall is expected to be completed in 2021.
Iconic Design Features
The Upper East Mall’s design will be highlighted by a 48-meter high iconic clock tower that illuminates even at night, making it a major landmark along the six-lane main avenue of the township that stretches from Lopez Jaena Street to Circumferential Road.
Upper East Mall will house several rows of restaurants facing a garden of century-old trees that will be surrounded by Koi ponds. The mall will also house four (4) state-of-the-art cinemas and an open-air Food Hall with an indoor garden.
“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,” says Kevin L. Tan, chief strategy officer, Megaworld.
Integration of Sustainable Designs
The Upper East Mall will pioneer the integration of sustainable design elements not yet found in malls in Bacolod City.
Use of Renewable Energy
The Upper East Mall will have its own solar panel roofing in order to save on electricity use.
Energy Efficient Features
The mall will also have energy efficiency features such as perceived air-conditioning cooling design and escalators with crawling features which can save up to 20% of power.
Rainwater Harvesting System
Water is one of the most important resource especially in urban centers and most developers have not optimized the use of rainwater. The mall will have its own rainwater harvesting system where the rainwater is recycled for plant watering. The capacity of the system to harvest rainwater can also absorb rainwater from possible flooding in surrounding areas.
Gray Water Recycling
The Upper East Mall will also have a gray water recycling system where the water that is discharged from the sewage treatment plant is collected and used for secondary flushing of mall’s toilets and urinals.
Mr. Tan said that as sustainable technologies become more available, Megaworld will use them in future buildings inside the township.
“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,” reveals Tan.
Already in the pipeline to be built inside Upper East is Megaworld’s luxury boutique hotel, and condominiums One Regis and Two Regis.
Aside from The Upper East, the company is also simultaneously completing its 54-hectare Northill Gateway township located along the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road within the boundary of Talisay City and Bacolod City. The township will also have its own lifestyle mall called Northill Town Center beside the residential villages of Forbes Hill and Fountain Grove.