Complete Ciudad in a year, Gwen tells firm

FINISH it within a  year.

This was the marching orders given by  Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia  to Fifth Avenue, the developer of the Ciudad project whose work has been delayed for over three years due to political wrangling between City Hall and the Capitol.

She met with its president Michael Dino and contractors in a closed-door meeting  yesterday at the governor’s office.

Capitol Consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda told reporters later  that Fifth Avenue “manifested their  commitment to proceed” with the joint venture, a Spanish-themed mixed use  commercial development supposed to rise in a province-owned lot in Banilad.

Sepulveda insisted “there’s no moratorium” on the project, even if the City Council previously declared a freeze in development along the Banilad-Talamban road.

“What moratorium? There are already buildings there. There’s no moratorium and in fairness, the city said there’s no moratorium. Things should proceed,” he said.

Last June 8, the Capitol gave a position paper to the Cebu City Council asking them to abandon the amendment of the city zoning ordinance that bars them from implementing the Ciudad project.

The position paper was referred to the committee on laws for review.

Rep. Tomas Osmeña, former Cebu City mayor, has long opposed the project, saying it would generate vehicle traffic that would tie up the Ban-Tal road, the only access to the north part of the city.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who’s mending fences with Garcia, said the city government should not hinder lot owners from doing what they want with their properties.

He said the Ciudad project, which includes a commercial center and heritage projects among others, would  generate employment.

But Osmeña warned that Ciudad would  only ruin the existing business establishments in  the area and worsen traffic there.

The Ciudad project was issued a barangay clearance from barangay Apas last April but still lacks a locational clearance from City Hall, a basic requirement before a building  permit can be issued.

Sepulveda said the developer should comply with all requirements.

“They said once they start digging a hole, they can complete it within the year. That’s their promise,” he said.

The Capitol lot where the Cuidad project will be built is beside Asiatown IT Park, which barangay Lahug claims is part of their barangay.

Apas barangay captain Ramil Ayuman said he met with Dino last April to ask  about the P1.2 billion Ciudad project before approving their barangay clearance.

He said Dino showed him  PowerPoint slides of the project and gave  him a copy of the traffic study  by engineer  Pedro Adonis Compendio showing how the project would affect traffic along the nearby Banilad-Talamban Corridor.

The traffic study showed a plan to open three access roads at the Asiatown IT Park.

A fourth access road is proposed at the Central Command Compound.

A barangay clearance is a requisite for the issuance a locational clearance by Cebu City Hall.

Other requirements include a duly accomplished locational clearance application form, parking data, lot title certification, lot tax declaration, geodetic sketch plan, bill of materials, building permit application form and architectural plan.

Traffic head Sylvan Jakosalem, chairman of the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom), said a separate traffic study on the area will be completed within this month. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus