CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPI) will open on Friday its 44th mall in the country and the second in Pampanga’s capital city.¯

In a statement, the SMPI said SM City San Fernando is “strategically located right at the heart of the city in line the heritage district.” The seven-story mall is a few meters away from the City Hall and the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando, one Pampanga’s old churches promoted as a tourism and religious destination. ¯

In October 2000, the SMPI opened its first mall in Central Luzon at the boundary of this city and Mexico town.

SM Pampanga is about six kilometers away from the SM City San Fernando.¯¯

Gov. Lilia Pineda and Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, who supported the establishment of the third Henry Sy-owned mall in Pampanga, are expected to lead the blessing and inauguration of the mall on Thursday afternoon.

The SMPI said the high-rise mall has a total land area of 7,835 square meters (sq.m.) and 28,753 sq.m. for the floor area. Major tenants are SM Department Store and SM Supermarket which will occupy 8,189.39 sq.m. and 2,578.01 sq.m., respectively.

“The mall and its exterior heritage design will please every shopper for the convenient, secured, and fun-loaded worry-free shopping it offers. SM anchors like SM Department Store, SM Supermarket, SM Cinema plus an amazing row of fashion, electronics, beauty wellness shops, vital services and restaurants with three levels of ample parking will provide security for the best shopping experience everyone is looking for,” said the SMPI.

This development came as the SMPI started as scheduled in January its major rehabilitation of the SM Clark in Angeles City. The work reportedly worth at least P500 million is expected to be completed by March 2013.¯¯

Ana Datu, SM Clark assistant mall manager, said that the site development had been done and the new and additional parking lots are now ready for use by its growing clientele.

“We are now in the process of connecting the new expansion building with the main mall. It’s the reason why we have to temporarily close the Meeting place area and re-route traffic,” said Datu.