Mandaue to renew bid for CICC: City Hall wants to use complex as permanent showroom

A portion of the CICC which was damaged by a powerful earthquake that struck Central Visayas in October last year. (CDN PHOTOS/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The Mandaue City government wants to acquire the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) and convert it into a one-stop shop where the city’s local products and destinations would be showcased, a City Hall official revealed yesterday.

Carlo Fortuna, a consultant of the city government, said they made the city’s intentions known to the CICC’s management board which in turn discussed the proposal with Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III in a meeting yesterday.

“The third option is on whether the province will consider selling the property to the city because the mayor (Jonas Cortes) is serious about buying it if the price is right,” Fortuna said.

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III walks ahead of Mandaue City government consultant Carlo Fortuna (in checkered shirt) as they leave after attending the meeting of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) board. (CDN PHOTOS/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Should the proposal get underway, Mandaue City will have to shoulder the repair and rehabilitation of the CICC which was heavily damaged when a powerful earthquake struck the region last October.

Fortuna said the city government wants to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire the CICC at a lower price.

The P800 million structure was completed in 2006 in time for the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit which Cebu hosted in January 2007.

“There is no better time to buy because the price will not be as high so we intend to consider purchasing it as is, in its condition right now,” Fortuna said.

Last year, Cortes  toyed with the idea of buying the CICC and convert it into a new city hall complex since Mandaue’s former Presidencia building could no longer accommodate all of the city government’s offices. However, the plan did not materialize.

This time, Fortuna said the mayor is eyeing to put up a one-stop-shop while retaining its purpose as a center for activities and functions.

“The mayor has plans to make it a one-stop shop for the products of the city. Whole-year round we will be putting up products there from Mandaue, the location of export and manufacturers in Metro Cebu,” he said.

Fortuna said they want to determine the value of the structure before the CICC board’s meeting in March.

The provincial government and the city government will send their respective team of appraisers and accountants to determine the real property value of the CICC. An independent appraiser will also be tapped.

From then on, negotiations for the sale could start between the city and the province, he said. “We are expecting a recommendation and the figures of the cost of the structure. That is what’s important because that will trigger the negotiation,” he said.