Known as the Gateway to Northern Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro is a gold mine of amazing and diverse attractions.The City of Golden Friendship is also a major whitewater rafting and adventure destination in the country and is considered the ICT Goldmine in the Philippines because of its numerous ICT infrastructures and businesses. With its natural attractions, rich cultural heritage, and warm and friendly people, it is a multicultural urban center with a laid-back charm.
Residents in the City of Golden Friendship now have more to smile about as SM CDO Downtown Premier opened its doors to the public last Friday, May 12, 2017. It is SM Prime Holding’s 61st mall, the sixth in Mindanao, and the second in the city.
Located at the busy intersection of Claro M. Recto Avenue and Osmena Street, the 5-level, 177,743.21 square meter mall, serves shoppers in Cagayan de Oro and nearby cities and provinces in the Northern Mindanao area. Envisioned as Cagayan de Oro’s premier shopping address, it is an emerging landmark in the bustling downtown area with five floors of retail, dining, and entertainment; and eight floors of prime office space in the future BPO tower, which will be integrated with the retail center.
SM CDO Downtown Premier brings a vibrant and upbeat retail experience for this urban market with exterior finishes that are subtle and upscale, primarily glass, metal, and natural colors that reflect the sophisticated nature of this center. A glass corner creates a striking entry and allows the center to glow with activity at night.
Interiors are also distinctly upscale with rich, subdued finishes enlivened by patterns of gray and accents of color. A diagonal pattern is reflected on the floors, ceilings, and in the skylight system to provide visual interest and variety. Daylighting and artificial lighting combine to create a variety of light effects that change with the time of day, weather, and seasons. Bold color is used as a visual accent on the escalators and inside faces of the skylight.
SM CDO Downtown Premier brings an uptown vibe to the downtown area with its eclectic mix of shopping, leisure, and entertainment. The SM Store and SM Supermarket are its major retail anchors, as well as SM mainstays like SM Appliance, Toy Kingdom, Our Home, Surplus, Sports Central, and Pet Express. The mall will also have hundreds of stores – fashion boutiques, shoe stores, home stores, novelty stores, and more, including a Cyberzone for the tech generation, as well as a Wellness Center.
It is a vibrant retail intersection where one can find global brands like Forever 21, Uniqlo, Miniso, The Body Shop, Watsons, Ace Hardware, Crocs, Giordano, The Face Shop, and Oakley, as well as well-loved Filipino brands like National Bookstore, Bench, and Penshoppe.
Dining with family and friends is a premier experience – outdoor dining enlivens the street with restaurant balconies on both sides. SM CDO Downtown Premier also has a Food Hall, and eating out options ranging from local and international fast food chains to specialty restaurants. Foodies will love trying out the mall’s homegrown restaurants – Missy Bonbon, Bigby’s, Ribs and Bibs, Hannabel’s, Salo Salo sa Panagatan, Chez Marie, Hungry Plate, Damaso, Barkadahan Grill, Bingsoo, Naicha, Sweet Cravings, and Arturo’s.
The mall has seven cinemas – four digital theaters, 2 Director’s Clubs, and one large format digital cinema; as well as a state-of-the-art bowling center. For customer convenience, it will have a parking building with 1,500 slots.
Just as SM CDO Downtown Premier is premier in its design and shopping excitement, it is also premier in its commitment to sustainability and the environment. It has a Sky Garden with lush landscaping.
More than that, it is equipped with a Rainwater Catchment System to prevent flooding. The Rainwater Catchment basin underneath the Main Mall Building measuring 3,000 square meters and six meters deep can hold up to 13, 650 cubic meters of water or close to 13.7 million liters of water. The tank capacity was based on the 24-hour rainfall intensity of 455 mm brought by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.
SM CDO Downtown Premier’s design team includes DSGN& Associates, Design Architect; Jose Siao Ling and Associates, Architect on Record, and DA Abcede& Associates, Construction Managers.
Happy shopping, Kagay-anons!