PH’s biggest mall operator bares ‘green’ Baguio plans

The country’s largest mall developer has announced a one-year project to expand and redevelop its mall in Baguio City based on what it said was an environment-friendly blueprint that adheres to international “green” building standards.

In a statement, SM Prime Holdings Inc., owner and developer of the SM chain of malls, said it was working closely with the Baguio City government and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to relocate with extra care at least 142 trees in the Baguio mall in the course of the expansion plan.

Of the 142 trees, 80 would be replanted in the mall premises and the rest would be turned over to the DENR compound for replanting.

All permits for the project have been acquired, according to SM Prime.

It said it would also conduct a massive tree-planting campaign in the city with the help of DENR.

SM Prime issued the statement on the heels of concerns aired by environmentalists on the relocation of the trees.

The plan calls for a seven-level, open air retail, dining and entertainment venue that would rely heavily on natural ventilation, SM statement said.

It would mean an additional 76,000 square meters of floor area and features a roof garden with “noninvasive” trees and an abundance of plants.

“The plan will not only be a catalyst for employment, business, and tourism opportunities in the city, but also highlight SM’s commitment to the environment,” SM Prime said in the statement.

It said the firm had teamed up with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) to uphold “green” building standards in building design, construction and operation. As a member of USGBC, SM Prime said its mall was committed to the “common mission and guiding principles of fostering a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy saving green buildings.”

The project aims to be the first mall in the country to be certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the internationally recognized standard for green building design and construction developed by the USGBC.

Other “green” features of the plan, SM Prime said, include an additional entrance on Governor Pack Road, extended canopies, 1,000 additional parking spaces underground, interior space with heavy dependence on sunlight that would reduce electricity use and a facility to catch rainwater and store this in a reservoir that would greatly reduce the mall’s use of the city water supply.