Written by: Amy R. Remo
Creating thriving growth centers has always been its trademark.
In every city or town where Ayala Land establishes its presence, it is known to go beyond simply building homes, towering structures, offices, and communities. Over the decades, many have witnessed the transformation of these developments into Ayala Land’s fully integrated sustainable estates, offering a conducive environment where prospects for employment and growth are rife, and where progress always follows.
One needs to simply take a look at Ayala Land’s 30 estates across the country to see how these have become centers of dynamic communities, efficiently masterplanned to afford one the luxury of being able to live, work, unwind, and enjoy within the same district. And as historical data would show, the seamless integration of residences, workspaces, shopping centers, leisure hubs, and other institutions resulted in capital gains and long-term benefits for the whole community.
Favored destination
In Quezon City alone, for example, Ayala Land already has a number of thriving residential and retail developments, but it also brought its signature estates to four locations here—the 45-ha Vertis North, the 11-ha Cloverleaf, 11-ha The Junction Place, and the 35-ha Parklinks.
A big draw for Ayala Land is the huge population of Quezon City, along with its proximity to areas like Bulacan which will allow the company to capture a much bigger market, explained Charlotte Cailao, head of the business development team of Ayala Land Estates. And it’s a right move, indeed as Quezon City, the most populous city in the country, seems to be a favored destination among homebuyers and businesses.
According to Lamudi Philippines, Quezon City—which has a population of 2.9 million as of 2015 based on government data—remains to be the most searched city in the country, receiving leads by a wide margin. Based on data from the Lamudi platform, the city attracted almost the same number of leads from Pasig, Parañaque and Taguig combined during the first quarter.
Most of the leads are for houses, Lamudi said, but “commercial properties showed the most potential for growth based on its performance in Q1 2021. Commercial properties to buy or rent showed the highest quarter-on-quarter increase with almost 13 percent.”
In terms of prime and grade A offices, Quezon City accounted for 15.6 percent of the existing gross leasable areas of 9.8 million sqm as of the first quarter, next to the cities of Taguig and Makati, data from JLL Philippines showed.
JLL Philippines pointed out that the presence of major business districts made cities of Taguig and Makati the dominant areas for accumulated prime to grade A office space. However, Quezon City is seen to outpace Makati City in terms of three-year supply pipeline as the former is estimated to account for 22 percent of upcoming supply from 2021 to 2024. That more offices are being built here should only signal the growing preference of companies to locate to this city.
Similarly, Ayala Land also has expansive presence in these cities (Taguig, Makati and Quezon City) where it continues to create dynamic growth centers.
Big-ticket infra
Apart from having a huge market that can be tapped, Quezon City is also set to benefit from a number of big-ticket infrastructure projects.
“All the four estates are strategically located in populated parts of Quezon City, and strongly linked to existing and future infrastructure plans. For Cloverleaf, we saw it as the gateway to Metro Manila from the north being at the corner of A. Bonifacio and Edsa. It also benefits from Skyway Stage 3 making the site now more accessible from the south. In addition, the project is also adjacent to the LRT station,” Cailao explained.
“For Vertis North, it is the most strategically located business district in the whole of Quezon City. It is bounded by four major roads, close to the Common Station and future subway station. It’s the same for Parklinks as it is along C-5 Road, whereas The Junction Place is located right in the middle of two major avenues namely Quirino Avenue and Tandang Sora,” she added.
Significant contribution
But while there are clear advantages in locating in Quezon City, Ayala Land is also bringing its own significant contribution to the residents and businesses in this area.
“With these developments, we are providing a lifestyle with a diverse mix of offerings for residents—for those who want to live in a mixed-use environment,” Cailao said.
“We are able to offer condo living in a mixed-use setting where everything is walkable. Residents can walk to their office, easily go grocery shopping or go to their exercise studio after work. On the weekends, you can walk to the mall, run your errands, or spend time at the park—all without leaving the estate and avoiding sitting in traffic. For me, that’s the attraction of living in a mixed-use development,” she added.
Cailao pointed out that this kind of lifestyle they are espousing in Ayala Land estates also promotes a healthy, sustainable way of living in which there is less car dependence. Also, the location of these estates are along public transport routes—you can easily get around without owning a car.
And it’s not only the quality of life that residents get to benefit from. Ayala Land estates are also sound investments, which have shown value appreciation over time.
Planning for the long term
“Our goal is to develop estates that are strategically located with current and future infrastructure connections, offering a diverse mix of uses that makes life convenient for all its users. They are thoughtfully designed, giving importance to the pedestrian experience. In all our estate developments, we are always cognizant of designing and allocating convergence spaces for the community,” she said.
“To fulfill our brand promise, we ensure that after construction is completed, the estate is properly managed. I believe all these elements contribute to Ayala Land estates’ long term value appreciation,” Cailao concluded.
Vertis North: City center energizing businesses, residents
Vertis North stands to become the newest central business district in northern Metro Manila.
At 45 hectares, Ayala Land’s masterplanned community in Quezon City offers all the elements that can inspire, nurture and energize businesses—a strategic location, choice residences catering to a diverse market, large mall complexes, premium grade offices, proximity to key infrastructure projects, as well as gardens and open spaces that boast of rich foliage to provide urbanites that much needed dose of fresh air.
Vertis North’s location alone would show how it’s shaping up to become the convergence point for major commercial area, existing transport developments and major thoroughfares. Located in North Triangle in Quezon City, bound by Edsa, North Avenue and Agham Road, Vertis North would no doubt benefit from upcoming projects such as MRT-7, the Unified Grand Central Station, and the Metro Manila Subway.
Such exceptional connectivity presents unparalleled access to key points in Metro Manila, making it easier for residents, guests, and employees to move around the city and reach destinations in nearby areas—whether via public transport or private vehicle.
At present, existing developments within Vertis North already offer a modern elevated lifestyle befitting today’s urban dweller.
Ayala Malls Vertis and Trinoma currently has an exciting, extensive plethora of international and homegrown retail, dining, and leisure options, similar to the Ayala malls in Makati City. The Seda Hotel Vertis North—the biggest among the Seda hotels in terms of room count and sizes of function rooms—has always been a top-of-mind choice and will continue to be once business and leisure travels, staycations, meetings, and banquets resume.
Further strengthening the stature of this economic hub is the presence of renowned multinational companies like Google and Telus, which have offices at the Vertis Corporate Center.
Ayala Land continues to expand its commercial footprint here with Solaire North, the construction for which continued despite the difficulties brought about by the pandemic. Also in the pipeline is ALP One Vertis Plaza, a single-tower, headquarter-type of project, said to be the “first premium office development for sale in Vertis North under the Ayala Land Premier brand.” At the ground floor are retail spaces ensuring easy access to retail and dining options.
Worth noting is that all these upcoming offices generate much needed quality jobs—from the time these are being constructed up to the time the companies occupying these spaces start looking for skilled talents to fill up their workforce.
Those wanting to be in the midst of this highly dynamic hub can easily choose from Ayala Land’s residential offerings—some of which are already home to discerning city dwellers.
The two-tower Alveo High Park boasts of sky gardens and expansive lush areas, while the Avida Sola Towers presents a balanced mix of work and play amid verdant greenery. The Alveo Orean Place meanwhile is a two-tower high rise residential condo that offers an exclusive, distinct living experience for future residents.
As health and well-being figure prominently in any estate masterplan of Ayala Land, Vertis North opened the first phase of a 2-ha park called Vertis North Rain Garden, which serves not only as a green lung for this project, but also a convergence part for the community.
PARKLINKS: The green lung of the metro
A former steel mill is not only getting a new lease in life, but is also poised to become the greenest urban estate in Metro Manila.
The 35-hectare Parklinks, which is being developed via a joint venture between Ayala Land and Eton Properties, presents a case for a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle as it puts a premium on open spaces, active living, connectivity and accessibility. A most notable feature here is the fact that as much as 50 percent of the estate will be dedicated to a network of parks and open spaces—set to truly make Parklinks the ‘green lung of the metro.’
Easily, the largest mixed-use development to rise along the C5 corridor in Quezon City and Pasig can address the typical dilemma of any modern urban dweller—having to choose between practicality and well-being.
For one, Parklinks is a highly connected estate given its proximity to major thoroughfares including C5 Road, Amang Rodriguez Ave., and Ortigas Ave., thus ensuring ease of accessibility. Given its strategic location, this newest estate rising in C5 further boasts of proximity to prestigious schools, commercial centers, hospitals, places of worship, and even business hubs.
Within the estate itself, one would find an efficient masterplanning of spaces, ensuring that everyone who will live and work here would be afforded a balanced urban lifestyle.
“Parklinks is our largest mixed-use estate in the C5 corridor, and the C5 corridor is a very strategic area. It’s surrounded by prime residential neighborhoods. There are also top school, medical institutions, and that area has seen a lot of commercial and office buildings being built in recent years, so there’s a thriving business district in that area as well,” explained Parklinks estate development head Mel Ignacio.
Homebuyers can choose from the spacious, exclusive luxury units offered by Ayala Land Premier at the Parklinks North Tower. Its expansive units come with exquisite finishes and wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows that provide natural lighting. Since there are only four to eight units in a floor, one is assured of exclusivity and privacy.
One can also opt for The Lattice, a 43-story residential community that links daily conveniences with a good dose of urban greens, vibrant retail choices and amenities for outdoor recreation. One can choose from among the 530 residential units on offer—ranging from a studio to four-bedroom cuts.
For your essentials, and more, the Parklinks’ lifestyle mall will feature premium retail, dining and entertainment options. Office and civic spaces are also in the pipeline.
Enabling that seamless flow are three bridges—including the iconic Parklinks Bridge with dedicated lanes for bikes and pedestrians. These will ease the flow of vehicles within the estate and will connect to neighboring developments namely, Circulo Verde and Metropoli.
But a more notable, more significant benefit for the residents and workers here is the fact that they can easily commune with nature even while in the midst of the city, thanks to the lush pocket parks within the estate. These open spaces further ensure social distancing and ample ventilation, which have become necessities in the new normal.
A 3-ha central park will rise at the heart of the estate, while the natural features of the Marikina River will be highlighted through an esplanade, river park terraces, running and bike trails and riparian gardens. Gardens, waterfront entertainment, and parks lined with restaurants, multipurpose lawns, eco walks and view decks are included as well.
Truly, beyond creating a modern community, Parklinks offers sustainable solutions enabling modern urban dwellers to thrive with a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle.