PAMPANGA-BASED developer AC Beautiful Island Realty Development Corp. (ACBI) recently launched it first project in the province, consisting of retail and commercial spaces targeted toward employees working in the area.
In a statement issued Tuesday, ACBI said it will be developing The Shoppes at The Infinity, a 15,600-square meter retail strip that will feature both local and global brands.
The project is located inside ACBI’s mixed-use development in Pampanga called The Infinity. The 40-hectare estate covers the boundaries of Angeles and Mabalacat and is envisioned to link Pampanga to the rest of Luzon.
“We envision The Shoppes to complement the trade and investment prowess of The Infinity. As business and leisure are industries that now work side by side, we want to make sure that we are offering a complete and one-stop-shop destination at par with central business districts here and abroad,” ACBI General Manager Byron John T. Siy was quoted as saying in a statement.
ACBI said construction for The Shoppes will start by the middle of this year, with the first phase to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2019. It has tapped style firm LG+V Architects to give the project a modern contemporary design.
“(ACBI) conceptualized the commerce district not only to open prospects for Pampanga but to serve as a commerce link of the region to the rest of Luzon. This can be owed to the strategic location of The Infinity at the gateway of Central Luzon and its direct connection to the North Luzon Expressway via the Angeles Exit,” the company said.
Aside from The Shoppes, ACBI has also announced the development of The Pacific Drive, a 290-meter four-lane lighted road inside The Infinity which is part of its road network. The Pacific Drive aims to be an alternative access point to and from Barangay Balibago to Magalang town and the North Luzon Expressway toll exit.
ACBI is the real estate arm of the JENRA Group of companies, which owns a chain of malls, supermarkets, and fastfood restaurants in Central Luzon. It also owns the Sacred Heart Medical Center in Pampanga.
The Pampanga-based company joins the roster of property developers seeking to take advantage of the province’s growth prospects in the coming years.
A study released by real estate consultancy Colliers International Philippines noted that firms should maximize Pampanga’s potential, as several infrastructure projects including the Clark Airport Expansion, Subic-Clark Cargo Railway, and Manila to Clark Passenger Railway are slated to improvement connectivity between Metro Manila and Pampanga.
“Colliers also encourages local players with sizeable landbank but with limited experience in building master-planned townships to partner with national players in developing large integrated communities. The enhancement of the country’s infrastructure backbone should unlock land values in urban areas outside of the country’s capital including Metro Clark,” according to Colliers. — Arra B. Francia
