Malls Galore, Sports Arenas no more?

SM Seaside City opened last week. Robinsons Galleria opened just this week. On a smaller scale, Citymall opened in Consolacion awhile back, while Gaisano Grand opened its Liloan mall also this past week. And how can we ignore all those 7-Eleven outlets mushrooming like viruses. And while all that is taking place, the Ayala Center Cebu continues to improve already good-looking self while SM City Cebu and Parkmall does the same. I’m not a real estate guy nor part of the retail business, but it sure looks like retailing, a.k.a malling and shopping is going to be driving everyone these days, especially during the Christmas season. While that’s an excellent sign of a thriving and booming economy, I can’t help but make a special Christmas wish this year. This Christmas, I’m writing a special letter to Santa Claus that at least one of these big-time (or smaller) developer seriously pursue the establishing of a world-class venue for sports and the arts.

For ages, the Cebu Coliseum has been the only option for big sports events or concerts. But I’m afraid it doesn’t pass the bill anymore. In fact, it hasn’t passed the bill for the past three decades, and yet it’s the only place we’ve got. The irony of it all is that many other cities and towns are leaving us behind in this department. If you watch TV, you’ll notice that more basketball games are held in pretty venues that we’ve never seen before. The Pilipinas Commercial Basketball League (PCBL) and Filsports Basketball Association have been to Bulacan, Marikina, Laguna, Pasig, Rizal and other towns. And these venues are impressive, to say the least, when compared to our very own Cebu Col. To be fair to Cebu, we do have the Hoops Dome. It passes the basic requirements to host big time sports events. It has maple flooring, individual seats in the lower and upper box sections, and an air-conditioning system that can match those of others. There are the standard locker rooms or backstage dressing rooms and access to all sections is clear and distinct. Parking is adequate and the Lapu-Lapu City government always provides the needed traffic and police support when the Hoops Dome hosts events. But the puzzling question remains. Why are there very few sports events or concerts held there?

But let’s see how it can work in Cebu. The model would have to be a combination of the commercial set-up in Cubao with the Araneta Coliseum, the Mall of Asia with the MOA Arena, and/or the way stadiums are built in other countries. In Cubao and the MOA, the Araneta Coliseum and MOA Arena are part of a comprehensive commercial complex that is composed of different elements that complement each other. The main hub is always a mall (or two) that houses just about everything that a mall should have. If you go to Cubao, the Big Dome is surrounded by the Gateway Mall, SM Department Store, Ali Mall, Farmers’ Plaza, Farmers’ Market, hotels, a bus terminal, condominiums, and even a parish church. The entire Cubao district is a haven of retailers from small shops to upscale outlets, restaurants, car shops, auto supply stores and “all of the above” in a multiple choice question, “What can you find in Cubao?” Being a newer development, the MOA complex is a bit different but the basic components are the same: malls, retail outlets, stores, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hotels and even a convention center.

The other model is how the government comes in to help out. With the thrust to promote sports, the arts and conventions/conferences, local city governments actually set aside a budget to build a sports, arts and convention center. The best examples are in the United States. Since the government recognizes this need, they establish these complexes but make these fuse in with commercial centers so as to become mutually beneficial for all. Looking at today’s scenario, we could’ve had something like that when the CICC was built. Remember that this was supposed to be a Mega Dome of sorts that was supposed to host sports, arts and convention events. Right across the street is Parkmall which is now thriving with its nice mix of restaurants, a supermarket, a section for bargain outlets, beauty saloons and a massage place. One thing missing today was the entertainment and amusement center on the other quadrant of the intersection. I had always felt that if the Mega Dome was built (but not the 25,000 seater and with traces of hanky-panky), this area would’ve been a huge destination joint for consumers in the same way that the Araneta Center and the Mall of Asia brings in thousands of people everyday. In a way, the Cebu Coliseum finds itself in the same situation, but an outdated one. There’s a mall across the street and the entire block on which the Cebu Coliseum sits is a haven of retailers, but not the kind that today’s consumers flock to for their spare time. I wonder what could’ve happened if a developer like SM, Robinsons or the Araneta Group had bought the entire Cebu Coliseum block.

There was talk about building a sports arena at the SRP, and this escalated when the country bid to host the FIBA World Cup in 2019. Cebu was designated as one of the proposed venues for this with the SM group ready to take on the challenge, banking on their MOA experience. Now that we lost in the bidding, all the talk has somehow fizzled out. I just hope this plan isn’t placed at the back most part of their freezer. The good news is that there are other potential sites for a sports and arts arena. SRP is always an option while the North Reclamation Area is also a potential site. It’s time to stop all the talk, agree?

If I had my way, I would uproot the Hoops Dome tomorrow and transfer it across Parkmall or SM City Cebu. Please join us in our letter to Santa.