The city’s first state-of-the-art shopping mall will commence functioning near the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport at Chakka on March 23.
The mall, spread over 6.5 lakh sq ft in three floors, is set up at ₹ 400 crore on seven acres beside the NH 66 bypass. The Phase I of the Mall of Travancore will have around 300 brands spread over 150 stores.
Seven multiplex theatres, Playaza — a 15,000 sq ft play area with 11 indoor rides, 9D theatre, 60 video kiosks — a hyper market, jewellery showrooms, electronics and home appliances showroom, showrooms of lifestyle products, and a food court with 22 multi-cuisine restaurants are part of the mall.
Entertainment zone
Besides, a 60,000 sq ft hangout area has been designed for people to relax, refresh, and get entertained.
Around 30 thattukadas will be housed in the open area.
A 1.5 km walkway has been created on the premises for joggers and walkers. Yoga class and laughing club will also be set up.
Malabar Group Chairman M.P. Ahammed told a press conference at the mall on Thursday that it would be opened for the public by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at 3 p.m. on March 23. “The mall is all about leisure, fun, and shopping, all under a single roof.”
Employment
As much as 80% of the stalls has been leased out under the revenue-based business model and 60% of the area would be available on the opening day, he said. The mall would give direct employment to 2,000 people and indirect employment to another 1,000. Local residents had been given priority in employment.
Work on Phase II of the mall would commence soon and would be completed by 2020, Mr. Ahamed said, adding that 5% of the income generated would be used for charity work.
Around 1,000 cars and 1,200 two-wheelers can be parked at the mall. A total of 1,000 high-definition cameras have been installed for security.
Initially, the mall will function from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to midnight on weekends.
