CEBU, Philippines - Guess what, Consolacion town officials are happy these days after learning that SM Prime is planning to put up a mall in the town.
Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado during an interview with The FREEMAN confirmed that officials of SM Prime visited her office and informed her of SM's plan to open a mall in the town.
Alegado said this development will push town officials to address the traffic problem that has been hounding the town for a while already.
Alegado, who met with mayors in Metro Cebu who support the creation of a Metro Cebu Traffic Council, said vehicular traffic could become a problem next year and should be prevented before the planned mall is put up.
She expects more people to visit Consolacion especially those from northern towns.
The mayor said the members of the Sangguniang Bayan, the police, and the traffic department are now identifying problems that could turn up in the future.
SM Prime will build a second but smaller mall in Consolacion which will cost around P800 million.
The construction will start in January next year and is expected to be completed by the last quarter of 2011.
SM Prime Vice President Fides S. Garcia said they had gone through the plans for the Consolacion mall, which will involve the reconfiguration of an existing structure, at the 4.7 hectare project site.
The FREEMAN learned that SM signed in October a long term lease for the Consolacion property. (FREEMAN)