THE Balintawak area in Caloocan City is entering a new chapter in the name of progress as Ayala Land Inc.’s (ALI) subsidiary Avida Land continues the development of Avida Towers Cloverleaf—a master planned, mixed-use estate in the northern part of Metro Manila.
Cloverleaf is an 11-hectare property in historic Balintawak. The estate is comprised of residential areas, two phases of Ayala Malls with floors allocated for office spaces and a retail strip that serves as a landscape pedestrian promenade. Entry and exit points of the estate are along Epifanio de los Santos (Edsa), Andres Bonifacio Road and Balingasa Road.
In a recent press briefing held in Makati City, Paula Cagampan of the Ayala Land Estates Inc. Project Development, Strategic Landbank Management Group, said the Cloverleaf area is a good investment because of its strategic location. “It is the best jump-off point coming from the Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela area [Camanava].”
“Moreover, it is highly accessible with the availability of the Light Rail Transit [LRT] 1, public buses, jeepneys and the soon to be introduced point-to-point [P2P] buses, and the soon to open stage 3 of the Metro Manila Skyway ” she added.
Cagampan noted the accessibility to mass transit and various forms of public transportation has Avida Cloverleaf a prevalent itinerary in the northern part of the Metro as far Bulacan and Pampanga with its retail and dining choices. 24/7 security is also maintained in the estate.
In the press briefing, Avida Land also introduced the Tower 2, a 36-story high structure with three floors for parking. It has over 800 units in studio, junior one bedroom, one-bedroom and two-bedroom layouts. The junior one-bedroom layout is an Avida offering that includes a partition for added privacy.
Ryla Czarina Durante, project development associate manager, corporate planning group of Avida, said investing in Tower 2 is a sound option because it offers the buyer a harmonious environment within the hustle and bustle of the northern Metro Manila.
“Cloverleaf is a transition that provides an orientation emphasizing connectivity in a master-planned community as it offers diverse activities and sustainable land use,” Durante explained.
Durante said Avida also decided to develop Cloverleaf project to respond to the market for more affordable housing units. By capitalizing on ALI’s much vaunted synergy, Durante said Avida will carry the track record of building a sustainable community in Cloverleaf.
Avida Towers Cloverleaf Tower 2 will have units ranging in price between P4.1 million and to P9.9 million. A one-bedroom unit ranging from 33 to 37 square meters will have a price range of P5.7 million to P6.7 million. Furthermore, a two-bedroom unit will have a price range of P9.6 million to P9.9 million.
As far as the buyers of Avida Cloverleaf are concerned, Raquel S. Cruz, said the profile of buyers in Tower 1 were mostly local businessmen and foreign professionals. “We marketed toward urban professionals and entrepreneurs from the North, and early nesters and families who were looking for a place to live in the city,” she said.
“Local buyers were mostly end users. We also had some foreign buyers from the US and China who bought units for investment purposes,” she added.
Cruz said Avida is also bullish on Tower 2 since Cloverleaf presents a highly accessible location.
She said the junior one-bedroom units are similar to studio layouts with the addition of a partition to offer added privacy for a bedroom. “Market preference has been for bedroom units so there are several choices for buyers of Tower 2. Real-estate consumer decision leans toward economical purchases with optimized spaces that provide added value in living experiences,” Cruz pointed out.
On the retail component, Cruz said the first phase of Ayala Malls has been completed with a 99-percent lease out as of March this year.
“The entire estate is only also open with completed road networks connecting the first and second phases of the project. Approximately 42 percent of the developable area has been completed,” she pointed out.
ALI has invested P23 billion for the development of Cloverleaf. An estimated P15 billion has been earmarked for phase 1.
Amenities for Avida Towers Cloverleaf includes a clubhouse, swimming pool with lap pool and children’s pool, children’s playground, indoor gym, and landscaped spaces and serenity gardens.
To ensure a higher degree of sustainability, Tower 2 integrates green building design features. Window glass has been upgraded from clear tempered glass to low-emissivity glass. Low-E glass is designed to reflect heat, UV rays and IR wave rays back to its source while still allowing sunlight to pass through. This lets the home feel cooler even during summer days.