Rama wants stadium at SRP

CEBU, Philippines - Following a major technical glitch at the recent Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. basketball final game, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is planning to develop a multipurpose stadium at the South Road Properties.

"The concept is that there will be commercial establishments around it. This mega multipurpose center will be a venue for international concerts, sports matches like tennis, and international conferences and the like," Rama told reporters yesterday.

He said that this is great news to sports fans who used to troop to the aging Cebu Coliseum despite the lack of ventilation and space.

"Para namong mga sports-minded, nindot kaayo ni nga development. Muagwanta biya mi sa kainit ug kahuot sa coliseum aron lang makatan-aw sa mga duwa because we are fans of the game," the mayor explained.

Last Week, Rama watched the CESAFI final game between University of the Visayas and Southwestern University at the Cebu Coliseum.

The UV Lancers defeated the SWU Cobras in a game that went on despite busted a shot clock and a timer.

SRP Management Office chief Roberto "Bo" Varquez said his office is proposing two locations for the mayor to choose.

One option is the seven-hectare lot beside the city hall block and UP campus while the other is the lot beside the SM development near Mambaling Access Road.

"For the one beside UP, the mayor wanted about two hectares dedicated for a park so about five hectares would be left for the coliseum. For the lot beside SM, it's about two hectares," Varquez said.

Varquez and Rama, however, stressed that no investor has so far expressed interest in venturing with the city government for the project.

"It could be a joint venture or build-operate-transfer (scheme). Depending on the proposal of investors," Varquez said.

The proposal, as a matter of procedure, will have to get approval from the City Council.

Meanwhile, Varquez said that the detailed engineering plan is currently being made for the 1.2 hectare retirement facility development at SRP with a Japanese firm.  -/LPM  (FREEMAN)