In its heyday, The Mall was the one. The main, the biggest mall in town. The opening ceremony back in 1987 was spectacular. Rumour has it that the firework show alone cost more than RM 1 mil. And I must say back then, The Mall was the place to be and to be seen. They had all the main brands and shops. The eateries there were excellent. One of the main feature of the place was the huge glass roof over the main foyer.
It was one of the place I would go to when I was back in KL during school breaks, either with my parents to shop, or to meet up with friends. Even back then, getting there was a challenge due to lack of public transport. I remember walking all the way there with my friends all the was from Pertama Complex, without much as breaking a sweat.
With the opening of bigger malls such as Mid Valley, 1-Utama, and of course more recently Suria KLCC and Pavilion, The Mall certainly appeared dated. Shops there started to close and the main brands shun the place, electing to open business around KLCC instead. The crowd also changed …. it was fast becoming groupies hangout.
A few years back, the Sunway group acquired the place and in May this year closed the mall for renovations. The glass roof was removed and this afternoon, on my way to PWTC for the motor show, I saw how bare the place was stripped. The new look mall would be renamed Sunway Putra Mall, and opened for business in January 2015.
Will it return to its glory days? I must say that I would bet against it. It may turn into a niche mall but it would never be able to compete with the likes of 1-Utama and Pavilion. I would however would be more than happy to be proven wrong .....
