By Marifi S. Jara, Mindanao Bureau Chief
ALSONS Development and Investment Corp. (Alsons Dev) and DoubleDragon Properties Corp. have launched Northpoint, a township project in the central part of Davao City.
The 116-hectare property consists of a sprawling residential area with open lots on offer and a 10-hectare commercial hub with the first CityMall branch in the city.
“Even if we have been building communities in the past six decades, I am still filled with excitement by the expansion of Northtown from a purely residential project into a suburban township,” Alsons Dev Executive Vice-President Rosvida Alcantara-Dominguez said during the launch on March 30.
Alsons Dev, the real estate development arm of the Alcantara Group, has eight other residential communities in Davao. It is also the developer of the former Aldevinco Shopping Center known for locally-made products, which has been moved to the more modern Poblacion Market Central.
Northtown is the company’s first mixed-use venture that also features the first community-based, integrated safety and security center with a Central 911 sub-station, and police and fire bureau posts.
Under the masterplan, the complex will later have residential buildings, other commercial blocks, and educational institutions.
“The mix of these elements provide Northtown residents and the surrounding communities a unique experience that brings together the conveniences of the city and the natural beauty of the countryside,” Ms. Dominguez said.
The residential area’s amenities complex — with a banquet hall, swimming pool and other sports and fitness facilities — is connected to the commercial center through an open green space with walking paths.
CITYMALLMeanwhile, the new CityMall branch will have the network of retail and food stores of MerryMart Consumer Corp. and Jollibee Foods Corp., local food shops, other lifestyle brands, and an activity center that can be leased for various events.
“The activity center might be very useful for small communities like this, for like birthdays and even LGUs (local government units) can utilize the space for their trainings,” DoubleDragon Properties President Ferdinand J. Sia said.
CityMall Commercial Centers, Inc., a subsidiary of DoubleDragon Properties, has been operating several malls in other parts of Mindanao, the southern Philippine islands.
“We are proud to open CityMall’s first branch in Davao City at Northtown Center, and we are looking forward to working with Alsons Dev for more developments in Mindanao,” Mr. Sia said.
This will be the 42nd CityMall in the country.
Alsons Dev and DoubleDragon Properties, through its CentralHub Industrial Centers, Inc., are also partnering for a warehouse complex in Davao City, located near air and sea ports.