Developer shows model of Ciudad
Three days after the deadline set by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Fifth Avenue, developer of the Capitol’s Ciudad project, began its road show.
Copies were given to media of an audio-visual presentation that explained how the project would ease traffic along Cebu City’s Banilad-Talamban Corridor.
The presentation featured a traffic study by engineer Pedro Adonis Compendio about how traffic along the nearby Banilad-Talamban Corridor would be affected.
It included a plan to open three access roads to and from Asiatown IT Park.
A fourth access road is proposed at the Central Command Compound.
Fifth Avenue owners assured that the Cebu city government will not spend a single centavo to develop the roads which would cost P280-million.
The developer would buy the lots and construct the roads “for free” giving the city government millions of pesos in savings.
The provincial government would provide land along Governor Cuenco Avenue for road-widening.
Cebu City officials have been opposing the Ciudad project fearing it would worsen congestion in the Banilad-Talamban road.
The project is expected to “help Cebuanos reconnect with the past,” generate at least 2,800 jobs and P300 million in annual income.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia last Friday gave marching orders to Fifth Avenue to finish the project within the year.
She met with its president Michael Dino and contractors in a closed-door meeting at the governor’s office.
Capitol Consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda told reporters that Fifth Avenue “manifested their commitment to proceed” with the joint venture, a Spanish-themed mixed use commercial development 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.
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. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus
