A decade of growth: Turning NRA into a center of business

How a mall helped Mandaue, Cebu’s industrial capital, to become a place for commercialism

10TH ANNIV/OCT 17,2018: Parkmall celebratyes its 10th anniversary. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

The 200-hectare Mandaue North Reclamation Area is indeed moving forward to become the thriving central business district of Mandaue City, a city that has been known as the industrial capital of Cebu.

Now, the city, through the Mandaue North Reclamation Area (NRA) has been turning out to be a center of business, a trend that has been started by one of the pioneer establishments of the area — Parkmall.

This commercial establishment helped turn hectares of then barren land 10 years ago into a thriving community today.

Lawyer Regal Oliva, Mandaue City treasurer, also noted how business establishment started mushrooming within the area following Parkmall’s entry.

“I have to give tribute to Parkmall for starting this one and for looking beyond the box that Mandaue City can also be a center for commercialism,” Oliva said.

“Because we have always been known as an industrial capital of the south and no commercial activities can thrive in Mandaue. But Parkmall changed that,” Oliva added.

With more business coming in, this also means more revenues for the city government in the form of taxes.

According to Oliva, business tax revenues from Parkmall as well as its many tenants and lessees are one of the biggest contributors to the city’s coffers. This, in turn, helps the city provide better basic services and infrastructure projects.

And while many years ago, residential communities would not have increased within the area, it is happening now.

“We also have seen the influx of residency increasing in the area — (Barangays) Tipolo, Subangdaku, Mantuyong, Centro. These areas near Parkmall, nagkadaghan ag mga taw nga namuyo (the number of residents is increasing),” Oliva said.

“Our residents have increased and the population increased because of the thriving economy that Parkmall has contributed to Mandaue City,” Oliva added.

Amazing journey
Engineer Neal Carlson Co, Parkmall president, for his part, described Parkmall’s growth and its contribution to turning the once barren land into one area bustling with activity.

“Personally, it has been an amazing journey. I still remember coming into this place 10 years ago.

There was nothing in this area. There were no jeepney routes, taxi drivers don’t know this place. It was a nowhere land,” said Co, as he and those in Parkmall celebrate its 10th anniversary today (Thursday).

It was in 2008 when Parkmall officially opened to the public, being the first commercial establishment of its scale to invest in the area.

Since then, the establishment now houses over 300 tenants that are mostly homegrown brands, and serves thousands of shoppers every single day.

Parkmall is considered a pioneer in the Mandaue North Reclamation Area as well as a trailblazer in terms of mall concepts.

They have become known as a mall that is welcoming to pet owners, promotes wellness activities, as well as being the home of the thrilling horror booth during Halloween.

“It is the culture of Parkmall; our thrust ever since is to be part of the community. That’s the reason our activities are not just about malling or shopping. We have activities for pet owners or for fitness for those part of the community,” Co said.

The entire property owner by Parkmall is six hectares big.

However, only around 40 percent of this property has been fully developed.

This is why Co said that following their 10 years of operation, they will be adding more projects and more developments in their remaining property.

Without divulging specifics, Co said they are eyeing a mixed-use vertical development in their property in the coming years.

More neighbors
Several years ago, Parkmall’s immediate neighbors only included the now defunct Cebu International Convention Center and the Cebu Doctors’ University.

“When we first stared, you can hear people asking why we are investing in the area. But now, the comments we hear is that there are so many people in the area. It’s bustling already. The perception of the place has changed over the past few years,” Co said.

Now, Parkmall is surrounded by many other developments that range from hotels, hospitals, night spots, restaurants, and showrooms, among others.

Establishments located very near the mall include Bai Hotel, Big Hotel, Cebu Westown Lagoon, Mandaue City Times Square, S&R Membership Shopping, Chong Hua Hospital Mandaue, and University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed), among others.

Big-ticket projects are also coming in the area including the 20-hectare Mandani Bay, a master-planned township development by Hong Kong-based HTLand and the Gaisano-led Taft Properties.

The project will house a total of 21 towers for residential, commercial and office spaces as well as pockets of green and a scenic boardwalk along the Mactan Channel.

Another project is the Infinite City, a public-private partnership project between the Mandaue City government and Millennium Pan-Asia Hotel and Resort Inc.

It will rise on the property where the CICC currently stands and will soon house two hotels and serviced apartments, a grand casino, indoor theme park, cinemas, a pool garden, shopping centers, offices and a 15,000-square meter convention center.

“The developments in the reclamation area complement each other. We can always share the market.

It’s happier when it’s a big cluster. People would want to gravitate to a big area of development,” Co said.

Flexibility
Architect Yael Sacris-Torrejos, Parkmall operations manager, shared that as the community they have cultivated continues to grow, they also adjust to their needs.

Coming in during the same year the mall opened, Torrejos noted that their offerings, activities, and expansion plans have always been influenced by the evolving needs of their customers and immediate community.

“We try to serve the immediate community by studying their changing needs and incorporate it to our tenant mix,” she said.

For example, as there are now two big hospitals near the mall, they are trying to bring in more 24-hour tenants into the establishment to serve relatives of patients or doctors, nurses and hospital employees that may need food or items outside mall hours.

Now, Parkmall houses several round-the-clock tenants like Cebu’s Original Lechon Belly and Ministop Convenience Store, among others.

Asked about their future plans, Torrejos said they are also eyeing to include a mix of entertainment options in the mall including a tenant that offers karaoke rooms.

Another plan is to improve their outdoor events area as they have been receiving several inquiries from companies and groups who want to hold outdoor events within the mall’s property.

They are also eyeing to build a parking facility to serve their growing number of customers.

“We are trying to be a complete mall. If you’re from work, before going home, people can come here, pay bills, go to the dentist, have yourself checked up. There are also basic things you need like groceries, different kinds of food, convenience store,” Torrejos said.