A successful exporter of processed tropical fruit products has just launched his first commercial property development in Mandaue City.

Justin Uy of Everjust Realty and Development Corp., who also owns Profood International Corp., said he decided to put up the establishment on A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City because he saw the potential of the area.

“The area is like an accessway from the airport to other areas and if you go to Banilad area, it is very congested already. The reclamation area already has malls so we see great potential for this property,” Uy said during the groundbreaking ceremony of JMall held yesterday in what used to be the site of the Royal Match Compound.

According to Uy, JMall will be a mixed use commercial property that will house a three-storey mall, an office space for call centers, and two towers for a hotel and an apartelle or condominium building.

“The land area of the whole property is at 3.2 hectares. This is a five-year project: two years will be dedicated for building the mall or phase one, and the remaining three years will be for the hotel and apartelle. However these plans might still change, especially the hotel which is dependent on tourist visits.”

The lot area for Phase 1 covers 92,000 square meters with 7,000 square meters area dedicated to SM Hypermart which will be their anchor tenant. “There will be about a hectare floor area dedicated for call center office space that is right on top of SM Hypermart or the second level of the building.”

According to Uy, they are already negotaiting with call center companies both existing in Cebu and new players who only have offices in Manila. “They did not commit yet because they will need at least a year's time and we have to develop the area for two years. So maybe next year.”

Uy added that the mall will house 271 shop areas for lease with 800 slots for car parks including covered and basement parking. “We are targeting before October 2011 to turn over the shop areas to tenants,” said Harrison Pow of HS Pow Construction and Development Corporation, a partner in developing the property.

According to Uy, it took them two years to plan the development of the area, which they believe will not only be another commercial establishment but a catalyst for economic development. It will create more job opportunities and promote new economic activity.

“Hopefully this will create a different kind of activity in the area because of the mall.”

Pow said that at the moment, they have hired a few hundred people for the construction of the area and will expect to add more, up to 2,000 people at most by February 2010.

Pow added that once the first phase is done, they expect more jobs to be generated with the opening of call centers which will require at least 1,500 seats.

Uy said they have more property development plans which will involve commercial establishments which allows continuous business compared to developing residential properties. - Aileen Garcia-Yap / Cebu Daily News 12/09/2009