Pontal sets mall opening date

There are exactly 100 days left for the opening of operations at the new development in the South Zone of Porto Alegre, Shopping Pontal, as informed by SVB Par executives during a lunch with the press this Tuesday (17). The place chosen to start the countdown was the DoubleTree by Hilton, which has already opened its restaurant and 48 of its 141 apartments facing the Guaíba River – where there is even an infinity pool.

The promise that the complex will open on April 26 also serves to align all the brands that will occupy the mall. Hundreds of workers keep the pace of works fast, although inside the hotel, where the daily rate costs, on average, R$ 700.00, there is no noise.

The complex is being handed over little by little. The first store to open was Leroy Merlin, then the public park, then the mall and, finally, the hospital, in partnership with Moinhos de Vento. Last Sunday, by the way, it is estimated that 10,000 people circulated through the area.

Ricardo Jornada, director of SVB Par, recalls that, four years ago, Pontal was just a project. “Most important of all right now is that 100-day number. We exceeded 60% of the leased area. We will have large international operations coming here, which are not in Porto Alegre”, he said, saying that some brands will debut in the gaucho market through Pontal. One of the hopes was Eataly, which operates in São Paulo and even put a sign on the venture, but later withdrew from the onslaught.

A highly anticipated restaurant, the Hard Rock Café, according to Jornada, will be the most beautiful in Brazil. The unit will have the profile of a concert hall, restaurant and commerce. In addition, 20Barra9 will set a point on the building’s rooftop, with more than 1,000 meters. “There is no such thing in the city”, he compares. Diego Andino Pâtisserie, Salvador Brewing Co., Mamma Mia, Kopenhagen, Freddo, Gelateria Gianluca Zaffari are also part of the range of confirmed gastronomic brands.

Another novelty will be the Market Hall, a large space with more than 2 thousand m² and a concept inspired by international Market Halls, as a large shared market. There will be a spice shop, a flower shop, liquor stores, meat, fish, bakery and fruit and vegetable stores.

In the fashion and services segment, there are Hugo Boss, Barthelemy, Yuool, Twenty Four Seven, Estética Meia Hora and Biketech.

Angelo Boff, managing partner of SVB Par, guarantees that the clock has started in earnest. He made this highlight because the multipurpose space was promised to open in November 2022, but it was postponed. “Now our shopkeepers understand that the day will come, that the mall will open. Those who haven’t started their works yet, need to start now”, he warned. With financial support of more than R$ 300 million, the complex has 114,000 m² of built area.

Mário Almeida, coordinator of General Administration of the AD Group and responsible for the commercialization and administration of Pontal Shopping, points out that the arrival of a new development in Rio Grande do Sul comes at a good time. “The year 2022 was important for the industry, with growth of more than 20% in the flow of vehicles from 2021 to 2022. Sales growth was 12% in 2022 in all malls in the network. This indicates that 2023 will continue”, he assesses.

The expectation is that, when fully operational, the Complexo Multiuso Pontal will have a monthly flow of approximately 1 million people. “We will no longer be a mall in Porto Alegre. We represent the future of physical retail when it comes to shopping centers in the world, we represent a new lifestyle, in which people want – at all times – to be connected, but also integrated with nature and living a lighter life”, reinforces the creator of the entire project, the president of SVB Par, Saul Veras Boff.

“Living this moment, in which there are only 100 days left to see this fantastic project start operating, is a source of great pride for me and for all those who dedicated themselves so hard to build it”, he explains.