SM Baguio City will undergo a major one-year redevelopment program starting this month.

SM Prime Holdings Inc., operator of the SM retail chain, has teamed up with the US Green Building Council in line with the conglomerate’s advocacy for sustainable environment.

As a member of USGBC, the mall is committed to fostering a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

SM City Baguio has worked closely with the Baguio City government and the Environment Department and secured permits to re-ball and relocate 142 trees in the area.

It said 80 of the 142 trees would be planted in the mall premises and the rest turned over to the Environment compound for replanting. The mall will also conduct massive tree planting efforts in the city in coordination with the department.

The expanded and renovated SM City Baguio is planned as a seven-level open-air retail, dining and entertainment destination, and will rely almost exclusively on natural ventilation for the mall’s generous public spaces. Located at the heart of Baguio City, the expansion will mean an additional area of 76,000 square meters to the existing mall of 106,000 square meters.

A primary amenity of the expanded SM City Baguio will be an expansive roof garden, landscaped with native and non-invasive trees and other plant materials and intermingled with numerous water features.

The roof garden will use the green roof technology to create an environment for vegetation growth that is as close to the plant’s natural environment as possible even though there is no direct contact with nature ground.

The project aims to be the first mall in the country to be certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the internationally-recognized standard for green building design and construction developed by the USGBC. It is also designed to receive a LEED Gold Rating that requires the implementation and documentation of achievement of a minimum of 60 of the listed points, subject to the review and approval of the Green Building Council.