WE’RE sure you’ve noticed that Glorietta and Greenbelt in Makati are getting facelifts, but so are many of the land conglomerate’s other properties. In a press conference on July 17 at the Glorietta Grand Mall (which was the hallway that shared an entrance with Rustan’s beauty department), Ayala family members and executives shared what’s next for Glorietta and its other expansions.
Ayala Malls Chief Operating Officer Paul Birkett said in response to a question about the reason for renovations, “With the exception of George Clooney, very few things get better with age.”
Feeling lost at Glorietta? So were they.
About Glorietta, he said, “It’s grown over time: one part then another part added, then another, which is why we all continue to get lost as we’re walking around. We had to go back to basics.”
Glorietta Grand Mall is just the first step. Throughout this year and the next, visitors will be seeing the freshening up of hallways, carparks, activity centers, cinemas, and even facades and entrances.
PARKS, STORES, AND GIANT SCREENSThe Glorietta 4 Park — the small green space with a dolphin fountain which is bounded by the Glorietta 4 entrance, Glorietta 5, and One Ayala — will be transformed into The Plaza by next year, serving as a nice view from improved balconies and al fresco dining areas in the surrounding buildings.
Glorietta is one of four flagship properties that they’ve identified, along with Greenbelt, TriNoma in Quezon City, and Ayala Center Cebu. All of these will also be improved.
Greenbelt will see even more stores, including premier Filipino brands, alongside its expected global luxury offerings. The complex will also see renovations in the theaters, lobbies, and food options. Greenbelt 2 will especially benefit from the food options, with a rooftop dining destination with over 20 outlets. Greenbelt 1, which has been demolished, will be resurrected as a space for flagship stores.
TriNoma will benefit from the rollout of giant movie screens, four times bigger than average (further innovations in its cinemas will be introduced) while unveiling a new transport terminal; the better since it will be connected to the Grand Central Station linking some of the city’s train systems. It will also expand next year, with an additional 17,000 square meters (sq.m.) of retail and office space.
Ayala Center Cebu, meanwhile, has already finished some of its upgrades, including a new activity center with an LED wall. It will have improved dining options, in addition to about 8,000 sq.m. of new space.
Other malls will see increases in space as well: Ayala Malls Marquee in Pampanga will have an additional 36,000 sq.m. of new space, and Abreeza in Davao will have an additional 22,000 sq.m. Overall, Ayala Malls will roll out an additional 700,000 sq.m. of leasable space over the next five years. These include openings in Kawit, Cavite with Evo City, improved experiences in Laguna’s Nuvali through a new Lakeside, Arca South (which is opening in December), and another new mall, Ayala Malls Gatewalk Cebu.
“We will be ready to welcome you very, very soon to what will be world-class destinations,” said Mr. Burkett in a speech.
Mariana Zobel de Ayala, a member of the Zobel de Ayala family and senior vice-president and head of leasing and hospitality for Ayala Land, Inc., said, “We really feel we owe all of you a little bit of an update. You’ve all been so patient, along with our consumers to live through this incredible endeavor with us.”
She reminded reporters present that in 2024, they announced a P30-billion investment for the four flagship properties, as well as another P4.5 billion this year to redevelop other malls like Marquee, Abreeza, Cloverleaf, and Fairview Terraces. “Over the next five years, we’ll strategically expand our footprint,” she said. She also reported that the four flagship properties have increased 14% in revenue quarter-on-quarter, bringing an 11% increase across the portfolio.
“What we’re doing with Ayala Malls goes beyond reimagination. It’s a strategic pillar of Ayala Land’s… growth strategy, focused on building places that people love,” she said. “Our malls are more than just commercial centers: they’re essential parts of the estates we build, and the central parts of Filipino life.” — Joseph L. Garcia
