PROPERTY giant Megaworld is set to start the construction of the P1.2-billion 16-storey steel and glass Davao Finance Center (DFC) within this year and targeted to be completed by 2016 at the Davao Park District (DPD) in Lanang, Davao City, the company's first township project in Mindanao.
Megaworld senior vice president Jericho P. Go, in Thursday's press briefing at Marco Polo Hotel Davao, said the delivery of the DFC, which will be Mindanao's first world class facility for business process outsourcing (ICT-BPO) industry, is targeted to be delivered next year.
"We are starting it this year, but we are already talking to several locators for the site, a combination of existing tenants already in Davao City and those that we have in our townships," he said in a separate interview with reporters.
Go said they are now talking to almost 10 potential locators for the facility.
But he was quick to add that once the construction of the DFC goes full swing, more companies are expected to look at it as possible site for expansion in the city.
"Once they see the building going up already, they anticipate that it will be filled up before it is completed so they (are expected to) sign in. Then we can fast-track the completion," he said.
The floor area of the DFC will be around 30,000 to 35,000 square meters (sqm.) and the leasable area for office will be 20,000 sqm. The ground floor level will house the commercial and retail spaces and their locators' recruitment centers.
Once completed, the tower is expected to generate some 50,000 jobs, indirect and direct.
Meanwhile, Go said the development of the 11.2 hectare DPD is still on track.
"We are please to inform you that we are on track with our masterplan to put up state-of-the-art BPO office buildings, residential condominiums, commercial and retail strips as well as educational institutions within our township," he said.
Go said they have already started the construction of the necessary infrastructure developments within the park.
"We have already constructed the road networks within the township. We are building our very own Megaworld Avenue. Our road networks will be wider and have provisions for bike lanes," he said.
It was also announced that Suntrust Properties Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Megaworld, is set to begin the construction of the One Lakeshore Drive, a four-tower residential condominium cluster that will rise at the 7.2 hectares residential area of DPD, in 2016.
Each tower will be 21-storey high with 355 unit each and 16 to 20 units per floor. Available units include studio (up to 27 square meters (sqm.), executive studio (up to 40 sqm.); one-bedroom (up to 50 sqm.); and two-bedroom (up to 76 sqm.).
The company started selling the units for the first tower last November 2014 while the selling of units for the second tower began this month.
Lawyer Harrison M. Paltongan, Suntrust Properties Inc., said the 355 units of tower one is almost sold out.
He said the selling price of the units are now around P84,000 to P99,000 per sqm.
Paltongan said they are expecting the delivery of the first tower by 2019.
One Lakeshore Drive will have a third-level amenity deck that features a 20-meter infinity pool, wood deck pool area, wet lounge, kiddie pool, outdoor fitness station, gazebo, children's playground, and pocket gardens.
At the ground level, there will be a business center, day care center, function rooms, and indoor fitness gym. A commercial area will also be present at the ground floor.
A one-hectare man-made lake will also be set up beside the residential condominium cluster and will be surrounded by trees and plants and recreational and leisure facilities.