RLC undertakes mall expansion

Robinsons Land Corp., one of the country’s leading developers of shopping centers, is spending around P800 million for the expansion and redevelopment of two of its shopping malls in Southern Luzon.

Around P400 million each will be spent for the expansion of Robinsons Place Lipa in Batangas and Robinsons Place Dasmariñas in Cavite.

RLC currently has 18 operating malls and plans to put up four to five malls a year. Last year, no new malls were constructed because the company was undergoing "temporary consolidation," in the process identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each mall.

Robinsons Malls general manager Nilo Mapa said that with the expansion of the Lipa mall, Robinsons hopes to better serve the city of Lipa by forming micro-community centers. "We’d like to invite more tenants to provide services and amenities that will improve and uplift the quality of life of the city residents and of nearby towns as well. We want to enrich lives and enhance the community," he pointed out.

Robinsons Place Lipa now has a three-level building annex adjacent to the existing mall, which increases the gross floor area of the whole mall approximately 60,000 sq.m. The expansion includes an additional access point coming from San Carlos Road.

The new wing will house a bigger activity area for mall shows and events, a two-level carousel at the atrium where kids can ride and have their photos taken, an al fresco strip, plus a variety of shops, dining outlets, service and amusement centers, among others.

Mapa said the mall will be home to many "firsts", such as Teletech ñ the first call center in the province, the first Toys R Us to the open in Southern Luzon, the biggest Timezone in the region, the first to have a multi-specialty clinic or medical arts facility outside of a hospital in the whole Batangas area, and the first mall in Lipa to adopt the al fresco dining format.

Not to be outdone, Robinsons Place Dasmariñas is expanding to include a bigger, two-level Robinsons Department Store, bigger Handyman Center hardware and Robinsons Supermarket. More parking slows will also be available at the new basement parking area. The expansion which consist of three floors will house popular names such as National Bookstore, Bench, Rusty Lopez, among others.

A cluster of popular restaurants and bistros are expected to open soon at Terraza Dasma, which is part of the expanded Robinsons Place Dasmariñas.

Meanwhile, having acquired the Manila Gas property recently, RLC is now finalizing new concepts for another mixed-use complex.

RLC’s high-rise buildings division has just launched Otis 888, an upscale property and feng shui-guided townhouse development located along Otis Road. The commercial centers division, on the other hand, is working on building a community mall, which will serve the regular needs of not only the future residents of these townhouses but also those of nearby districts Pandacan, Paco, Sta. Ana, San Miguel, Malate, Nagtahan, and portions of Makati.

The mall will have a gross floor area of 34,000 sq m and will consist of five floors. The project is expected to be completed last quarter of 2007.

RLC officials earlier said the mall business will be expanded to maintain the company’s position as one of the three largest mall operators in the country.

Company chairman and CEO James Go and president and COO Lance Gokongwei said new malls will be constructed in Sucat, Parañaque; Dumaguete, Negros Oriental; Tagaytay; Cavite; and Davao.

"We will continue to leverage on our mixed use development model which RLC has pioneered," the officials said. The mixed use complex undergoing major development is Robinsons Galleria where the group will complete the redevelopment of a portion of the mall to be called "West Wing." The redevelopment will be completed by the last quarter of 2006.