Ali Mall

Ali Mall a shopping mall at the Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City beside SM Cubao, and owned by The Araneta City Inc. (ACI,Inc.), a subsidiary of the Araneta Group. The first major shopping mall in the Philippines, the retail area was named in honor of boxer Muhammad Ali, and was built in 1976, making it one of the oldest malls in the country.[1][2][3]

Ali Mall
LocationAraneta City, Barangay Socorro, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines
Opening dateJune 30, 1976
DeveloperAraneta City Inc.
ManagementAraneta City Inc.
ArchitectSindiong/Ocampo
No. of stores and services100+ shops and restaurants
No. of anchor tenants4 (including 5 for parking spaces)
Total retail floor area64,500 square metres (694,000 sq ft)
No. of floors4
Parking300 cars
Public transit access Araneta Center–Cubao
3 Araneta Center–Cubao
Araneta City Bus Port

History

Construction on the mall began in 1975 after Muhammad Ali's boxing victory against Joe Frazier in Araneta Coliseum, dubbed "Thrilla in Manila".[3][4] At the time there were no malls in the entire country, so Ali addressed a speech to the Philippines to build a shopping mall near the Araneta Center in honor of his victory, a shopping mall with a floor area of 62,000 m2 (670,000 sq ft).[1][5] The shopping mall was completed within the year and was inaugurated on June 30, 1976. Ali himself attended the ceremony.[6]

The mall had many firsts in the country, such as the first enclosed and fully air-conditioned mall; the Alimall Cineplex 4, first cineplex with 2 cinemas (upgraded to 4 theatres); the largest indoor skating rink (Skate Town); and the first food Court (Food Plaza), [7] with its first tenants are Papemelroti, Blue Magic, and Rusty Lopez. [8] Among its tenants include Automatic Centre, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, Philippine Airlines , Penshoppe, National Book Store, Adidas, and Vans and more than 100 other shops, including food, retail, tech services, and government services, including the Department of Foreign Affairs' DFA CO NCR-Northeast, a passport office located on the second level which was opened in February 2014.[9]

In the 1980s, the mall has been undergoing expansions and renovations since its construction. In 2009, a new expansion to Ali Mall was opened, costing ₱200 million, consisting of a fully enclosed footbridge (Ali Mall Skywalk) that connects Ali Mall to nearby SM Cubao was opened in 2010 to commemorate the friendship between the two malls and new interiors and a modernisation of the Ali Mall Cineplex 4.

In 2016, the mall paid tribute to Ali's legacy shortly after the boxer's death.[10]

In March 2019, a section of the mall at the upper ground floor was remodeled to cater novelty items, antiques, art, music, and memorabilia. This was inaugurated as ALI X, said to be inspired by the grand bazaars of Europe and aims to be a haven for casual goers and hobbyists alike. Inaugural tenants include Happy Music, Remnant's Thrift Shop, and Erin's Artist's Lounge and Cafe, among others.[11][12][13]

See also

References
  1. Imray, Gerald (4 June 2016). "Kinshasa, Manila and beyond, Ali enraptured fans everywhere". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  2. "Ali's death rekindles memories of epic 'Thrilla in Manila'". 4 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  3. Santiago, Andrea. "Philippine businesses of yesteryears". Manila Standard. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  4. "A Shared History: Ali Mall and SM Cubao". 3 January 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  5. "Ali Mall: First Ever Shopping Mall Makes A Comeback". Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  6. Antonio, Hidalgo (2008). "Renewing Old Ties". The Araneta Center : the big dome and beyond. By Alcazaren, Alfred; Yuson, Paulo. p. 27. ISBN 9789719398103.
  7. "Araneta Center". www.aranetacenter.net. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  8. https://www.aranetacity.com/news/article/A-Celebration-of-Firsts-and-Distinctions-in-Shopping-Experience
  9. Esmaquel, Paterno II (8 January 2014). "DFA to open office in Cubao mall". Rappler. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  10. "Philippines' Ali Mall pays tribute to boxing legend". San Diego Union-Tribune en Español. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  11. Mar 21, Ashley Martelino; 2019. "FIRST LOOK: Check Out ALI X, Ali Mall's Hip New Wing". SPOT.PH. Retrieved 2019-10-07.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. News, ABS-CBN. "IN PHOTOS: Haven for collectors, hobbyists opens in Cubao". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  13. "Araneta Center". www.aranetacenter.net. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
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