SM City Cebu

SM City Cebu (also known as SM Cebu, and sometimes both known locally as SM Mabolo and SM City), is a large shopping mall located in Mabolo, Cebu City, Philippines. It is the 4th shopping mall owned and developed by SM Prime Holdings, the country's largest shopping mall owner and developer. It is the company's first shopping mall outside Metro Manila and the fifth largest shopping mall in the Philippines. It has a land area of 11.8 ha and a gross floor area of 268,611 m2

On an average day, more than 100,000 people visit SM City Cebu, with the figure increasing to 140,000 to 150,000 on weekends. Due to Cebu City's position as a transshipment point for the Visayas and Mindanao, and SM City Cebu's location close to the city's port area, the mall attracts a significant number of transient shoppers.

Development
The mall, the first SM Supermall outside of Metro Manila, opened on November 27, 1993, with a gross floor area of 161,562 m2. It was seen as catering to the broad low- and middle-class shoppers, in contrast to its upscale competitor, the Ayala Corporation-owned Ayala Center Cebu which opened a year later.

Located in Cebu City's North Reclamation Area, then a quiet and relatively remote part of the city, the mall had Manila-based movie and television stars and entertainers perform free concerts at the mall to attract shoppers. Free jeepney rides to the mall were also offered to fulfill the lack of available public transportation within the area.

Northwing
Construction on SM City Cebu's expansion building, dubbed the Northwing, began in March 2006. The expansion, which was developed at a cost of ₱1.3 billion (US$30.5 million), was built on the parking lot to the north of the existing building, temporarily decreasing the number of parking spaces by more than 30%. Construction of the Northwing started in April 2006, and opened on November 30, 2007. It increased the total gross floor area of SM City Cebu by 107,049 m2, for a total of 268,611 m2. The first 2 floors are for the mall's expansion, while the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors are for the indoor carpark including the roof deck.

Northwing Expansion


An expansion is planned for the Northwing, which will also include two 20-storey office buildings intended to cater to business process outsourcing companies, as well as a 9-storey building which will house a campus of National University. It is set to be completed by 2025. Once completed, the GFA of SM City Cebu will be rumored to have a total of around 495,000 sqm, surpassing SM Seaside City Cebu. At the same time, a major renovation of its interior is ongoing, starting with the area near Ace Hardware and SM Appliance Center, and new shops are being added as well.

Design
SM City Cebu is a seven-level complex namely lower ground floor, upper ground floor, second floor, third floor, fourth floor, fifth floor, and roof deck featuring a total of eight cinemas with seven regular cinemas and one IMAX theater with a total seating capacity of 5,812, a food court, a fully computerized bowling center, 8,000-square meter amusement center, and a 2,000-square meter trade hall. Prior to the addition of the Northwing, it had a car park capacity of 1,629.

The Northwing expansion, opened in 2007, features two floors of retail stores, restaurants, and cafes. It houses more than 200 tenants and caters to a more upscale clientele. The expansion also added three levels of covered parking, and a one level of roof deck parking.

Transport
The Cebu North Bus Terminal is situated inside the mall compound opposite the mall's parking area with the lot granted by SM Prime for free for a period of two years, after its lease in its former location in Subangdaku, Mandaue expired in early 2020. It was officially opened on October 12, 2020, and full operation started on October 15, 2020.