Bulletin 9/17/2009
Makati denizens will soon experience the first of a series of projects designed to keep the 124-hectare premier business district at the forefront of successful masterplanned communities in the Philippines.
Despite the profusion of modern business districts in Metro Manila, Makati remains the most prestigious with land values and rentals pegged at a much higher price than that of its closest competitor. Prime Makati office space, for instance, rents out at P900/sqm on the average and is almost double that in Ortigas.
Anna Margarita Dy, group head of the Strategic Landbank Management Group of Ayala Land, said: “We intend to maintain Makati’s competitive edge through a constant stream of projects that will keep the place vibrant. We want it to continue being friendly, engaging and interesting to all who live, work and visit here.”
A key component to making Makati a vibrant city is to make it even more friendly to pedestrians than it already is. The executives, workers, and visitors who enjoy Makati’s pedestrian walkways will welcome the completion of a new urban oasis at the heart of the business district to be unveiled this November.
The two-hectare garden lies behind the Tower One and Exchange Plaza on Ayala Avenue and is bordered by Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue. Salcedo Village residents and employees who cut across the Ayala Triangle from Paseo de Roxas as they head for Ayala Avenue and Ayala Center will see the board-ups come down in a few weeks time to reveal a landscaped promenade.
“You can take a walk, exercise your dog, or just enjoy a coffee break in this convergence area which is one of the most valuable land parcels in Makati,” said Dy. “The place will also be a venue for cultural, art and shared events.”
She observed that great cities of the world are distinguished by their gardens and civic areas where the pursuit of art and other finer things in life can take place. In that sense, the Ayala Triangle garden will be another symbol of Makati’s progress.
The Ayala Land project will be complemented by an undertaking of the Makati Commercial Estates Association (Macea), the organization of property owners in the business district, to make the business district truly a walking city. On-grade sidewalks will be expanded in some areas, lighting will be improved and special paving material will be incoporated in important locations. Urban patios dedicated to pedestrians are part of the scheme.
Dy emphasized that Makati has remained the preferred business district even after close to six decades because of deliberate planning on the part of Ayala Land, the continuous upgrade of the district’s facilities including the Ayala Center, the completeness of its offerings.
She also cited the role of the participation of its stakeholders like the organization of the lot owners in the area, the Makati Commercial Estates Association, in the governance and planning of the area.