Central America’s largest shopping mall to be built in Costa Rica

Construction of what will become Central America’s largest shopping mall began last week in the province of Alajuela, northwest of San José.

Developer Corporación Lady Lee on Thursday held a ground-breaking ceremony at the site of the new mall, which is expected to be finished by November 2015, the company said on its website.

The new project will cover 5 hectares and is located next to the International Mall and on a road connecting the capital, a public hospital and downtown Alajuela.

Developers say construction will last 20 months, and when finished, the project will be “bigger than all five stages of Mall Multiplaza Escazú,” the company said, referring to the mall in a southwestern San José suburb.

Leonel Feoli, CEO of City Mall Costa Rica, said that 300 stores will be located in 200,000 square meters of space, with 2,600 parking spaces, a food court for 1,500 people, 10 cinemas, a 4D room, and an amusement park.

Alajuela Mayor Roberto Thompson said the project will create more than 3,500 jobs for area residents.

President Laura Chinchilla attended the ground-breaking ceremony last Thursday and thanked the corporation “for the confidence to invest in Costa Rica.”

Corporación Lady Lee chose the province of Alajuela due to its proximity to Juan Santamaría International Airport, the country’s largest air hub.