Paseo Talisay

New commercial center to rise south of Metro Cebu

A BRAND-NEW five-hectare commercial center is set to start construction in the south of Metro Cebu, the first of its kind to rise in the mostly residential district.

John Paul Chiongbian, president of DevAsia Corp., said the complex, initially called Paseo Talisay, will have a Robinsons Department Store, a nighttime entertainment strip and a night market as its main attractions. Construction is set to start January 2008.

“There will also be call centers and retail outlets, all dedicated for the people of the south,” Chiongbian told BusinessMirror.

“We hope to spur growth in the south. With us paving the way, the net projects should be better and it will only bring good things to the residents of the south,” he said.

The complex will be built right in front of the Talisay City Hall and the Cebu South Coastal Road, giving it superhighway access right into downtown Cebu City and the South Road Properties (SRP).

“Everybody is saying that Talisay is too laid-back to host a commercial center. We do not believe that,” Chiongbian said.

Metro Cebu’s south district—Talisay and Carcar cities and the towns of Minglanilla and Naga, including parts of Cebu City—had long been deprived of commercial development, with all the major malls as well as commercial and business centers all located in the north.

Chiongbian, however, said the inevitable development in the Cebu City-owned 240-hectare SRP would give the south its much-needed break.

“We want to be there when the south explodes with opportunity,” he added.
DevAsia’s foray into the south comes on the heels of its successful establishment of 5,000-square-meter Paseo Cebu in Cebu City’s northern urban tip. Paseo Cebu hosts more than 100 night-market stalls, food outlets and mini bars, altogether sharing a common sitting area and entertainment center.

Chiongbian said during a regular weekend, Paseo Cebu gets around 5,000 patrons. Work is already finishing for Phase 2 of Paseo Cebu.

Article source: Business Mirror