Excitement mounts for ALI's Abreeza proj in Davao

DAVAO CITY — “I am crossing my fingers that Abreeza will be as great and homey as Serendra and Greenbelt…It won’t open until the last quarter of 2010 but I am super excited already!,” gushed Maria Jose in her “Life with Ria” Internet blog, emphasizing her being a long-time big fan of the Ayala Land Inc.’s (ALI) Serendra development project at the Bonifacio Global City and the Greenbelt shopping center in Makati.

Jose is not alone in her excitement for ‘Abreeza’, the 10-hectare mixed-use integrated development project ALI is establishing with the Antonio Floirendo Corp. (Anflocor) along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Bajada here in Davao City.

Several others in the blogging community also share Jose’s excitement, looking forward to how the P5-billion joint venture project would drastically change the economic landscape of this city of 1.6 million people, considered to be the leading growth center in this part of the country.

Oliver Robillo, an information technology expert who organized the first IT organization in Davao City and the one behind the first ever World Camp Philippines bloggers conference, also couldn’t contain his excitement upon knowing that Abreeza shall house two business processing outsourcing buildings aside from a 61,000 square-meter mall.

“I am definitely excited with Abreeza and how it would help the IT industry in the south. My concern is about ALI and Anflocor’s contribution to the IT industry. Of course, they would be bringing in foreign locators, but we hope they could also put up something like an incubation facility or an ‘idea farm’,” Robillo said.

Robillo said an incubation facility is such that an investor extends assistance to start-ups to help them graduate into a viable business if not part owners.

But the excitement does not end with the blogs on the net as residents here have also gone agog at how Abreeza would transform the space fronting the Redemptorist Church here into a modern and environment-friendly town center.

People here are also excited knowing that another leading retail giant, the Gokongwei’s Robinsons, shall be the anchor store in the Abreeza mall, where the Robinsons department store, grocery and Handyman hardware will also be located.

ALI reportedly shall take upon itself the effort to expand the existing road network and the proposed entry points leading to Abreeza in assuring that traffic would not be a problem when the place finally opens in 2010.

“It is a very good investment. Davao City needs investments such as Abreeza,” said Vicente Lao, chairman of the Mindanao Business Council.

Lao said Abreeza would speak well of Davao City as an investment center especially after it was cited anew this year as the country’s most competitive major city based on a survey conducted by the Asian Institute of Management.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who has served as Davao City’s mayor for over 20 years, was likewise among those who welcomed the establishment of Abreeza.

Duterte pointed out that such development would bring in more income to the city as it would also generate more jobs for Dabawenyos.

Abreeza is expectedto to generate more than 11,000 jobs, aside from those who will be involved in the construction of the structures in the commercial area.

Senator Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas, who was here in Davao City yesterday, also joined those who were looking forward to the opening of Abreeza.

“I know the Zobels, (Jaime) and (Fernando). I know them and how they run their business. I know they do not put their money in anything they are not sure of,” said Roxas, adding that the Zobels must be that impressed with the local government of Davao City for them to pour in P5 billion of their resources into this southern metropolis.

To show the significance of the P5-billion Abreeza project, ALI officers came in full force for the groundbreaking ceremonies, led by its chairman Fernando Augusto Zobel de Ayala, president Jaime Ayala, Ayala Corp. chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II, ALI senior vice president Ma. Victoria Añonuevo.

ALI owns 67 percent of the project while the remaining 33 percent is that of Anflocor, headed by Don Antonio Floirendo Sr., the patriarch of the Floirendo family.

Anflocor senior vice president Ricardo Floirendo agreed with Roxas’ observation.

“It is true, very, very true. Everybody knows how the Zobels do business,” said Floirendo.

Floirendo, whose family owns the 10-hectare land, said Abreeza was not a spur-of-the-moment decision that just sprang out of the desire to live up with the current trends and fads.

“Abreeza has long been thought of. In fact, it was as way back as 10 years ago when our families started talking about the project. But certain past events had put it on hold. It was only last year that it has been finally decided that it was time that we push through with the joint venture. And now is the right time,” Floirendo said.

Floirendo explained that the Zobels have carefully studied every aspect of the joint venture project, including what the mall would have to offer.

“Through those years, ALI management has been going around, scouting what is it really that represents Davao City. Abreeza would also be a showcase of Davao’s best even in terms of dining places and its shops,” Floirendo said.

He stressed that along the way ALI really wants to help promote the local homegrown establishments by helping them develop into world-class shops and eateries.

“ALI has checked even the durian candy makers in the city and everybody else even those who used to sell plants and clay pots in front of our Bajada property before,” Floirendo said.

Floirendo said the first component of the Abreeza mall is expected to be completed by fourth quarter of 2010 while the second phase by third quarter of 2011.

The construction of the first BPO building is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2009 and the second building by the fourth quarter of 2011.