The time-honored Zhuhai Department Store and International Trade (Guomao) Shopping Plaza in Jida will shut down March 31 to make way for the world-class City Heart urban complex. The linked Duty-Free Emporium is to remain open during first-phase reconstruction of the once-dynamic Jida Business Circle.

Many counters and shops at International Trade (Guomao) Shopping Plaza have already cleared out. The entire second floor is closed, although some restaurants on the third floor are still in operation.

At this time, clearance sales are going on at the Zhuhai Department Store. Customers can also exchange credits for gifts at the atrium on the plaza second floor.

Design of City Heart near intersection of Jingshan and Haibin roads [Photo courtesy Zhuhai Media Group]

Zhuhai initiated the City Heart project in 2013 to revitalize the business zone. Rundown site appearances, traffic jams, low intensification of land use, unreasonable functional layout, and lack of public services and support facilities had damaged the city's image amid rapid urban development.

The core area of the project will contain a modern high-end urban complex of Grade-A office buildings, shopping centers, boutique hotels, and upscale apartments on the 89,900-sq-m (22-acre) triangular plot encased by Jingshan, South Haibin, and Jida roads.

Construction by Zhuhai Huafa Group will be in two phases. The East Annex Building has already been torn down and preliminary work is underway on support structures in the foundation pit.

The City Heart project covers 700,000 sq m (173 acres). It will consist of the Core, Central, and Nanshan areas, which correspond respectively to the Jida Business Circle and Jida and Nanshan industrial zones.