1st Avenue mall in George Town set to open doors in November

THE 10-storey upmarket 1st Avenue shopping complex next to Komtar and Prangin Mall in the heart of George Town, Penang, is scheduled to open in November.

Belleview Group marketing communications manager Christina Tan said the building was issued with the certificate of fitness in July and would be open “in time for the year-end celebrations”.

She said there would be four anchor tenants — the Parkson Grand departmental store, a supermarket, a cinema and an entertainment centre — and more than 200 other tenants occupying 273 shoplots.

“We are trying hard to ensure that all the outlets will open at the same time,” she said, adding 10% of the tenant would be in Penang for the first time.

Tan said the mall had a spacious nett lettable area of 400,000 sq ft.

“Our lower ground level, the only floor with a concourse, will be known as Underground.

“It will be a vibrant floor with various food and beverage outlets and shops and stalls sel-ling knick-knacks,” she said.

She said the ground and first to fourth levels would be retail floors, while the fifth to seventh floors would be the carpark.

“The top floor, where the cinema and entertainment centre are located, will be known as Cloud 8. Shoppers can step out onto an open air corridor to a panoramic view of the island at almost 360 degrees,” she said.

Tan added that the bridges linking 1st Avenue to Komtar and to Prangin Mall were also being built.

The bridges would give shoppers easy access to move from one building to another.

The mall is owned by Singapore-based Asian Retail Mall II Limited (ARML II), Belleview Group and the Lion Group.