Ciudad Cebu project seeks Capitol’s help

The developer of the stalled Cuidad Cebu project in barangay Banilad, Cebu City sought the assistance of the Cebu provincial government.

Officers of the Fifth Avenue Development Corp. yesterday appeared before the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) to seek assistance in securing clearances from the environment department for its Ciudad Cebu project.

“We have the necessary requirements except the ECC. We’re here to ask for help,” said Michael Lloyd Dino, chief operations officer and executive vice president of Fifth Avenue Development Corp.

The Cebu provincial government, through its Economic Enterprise Council, earlier applied for a tree-cutting permit which is necessary before one can secure an ECC.

Fifth Avenue Development Corp. has been waiting for a year already but the DENR has not issued a tree-cutting permit yet.

Dino said they want to realize a project that will generate 3,000 jobs and infuse half a billion in the local economy every year.

“Cebu needs this now more than ever. Most of all, it will evoke nostalgia for Cebu’s history and culture so that in this little space called Ciudad, all will marvel at the Cebu of all time — past, present, and future,” he said.

Ciudad is a proposed P1.2-billion commercial establishment which will be constructed in a 2.8-hectare lot owned by the province.

The establishment will have a museum, restaurants and department stores and will showcase Cebu’s heritage. It is expected to earn P300 million every year.

The Ciudad project was supposed to be constructed in 2005 but when the relationship of former Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia and former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña turned sour, the latter blocked the project.

The Cebu City government did not issue a building permit and passed an ordinance banning any development in the area where Ciudad ought to rise.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama chose to revive the project when he took over as the chief executive of Cebu City in 2010.

Jonjie Gonzales, communication officer of Fifth Avenue Development Corp., presented their proposed plans which include schemes to ease traffic along the Banilad -Talamban corridor.

“We promise not to cause traffic in the area,” he said.

Gonzales said Fifth Avenue Development Corp. plan to construct a circumferential road so jeepneys passing through Ciudad won’t cause traffic.

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale wants to have another meeting with officers of Fifth Avenue Development Corp. along with Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III. She said they need to be apprised of the Ciudad project especially since they have not received documents about it from the previous administration.

“We will try to secure a copy of the Memorandum of Agreement between the province and Fifth Avenue Development Corp. so we will know what we ought to do. I suggest that we meet again. To tell you the truth, we didn’t even know that the province was tasked to secure the tree cutting permit,” she said.

Dino was grateful that Magpale expressed interest about the Ciudad project which would “connect culture and arts — a face we really need and one that defines Cebu.” /Ador Vincent S. Mayol, Reporter