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In the 1500’s, when the Conquistadors (Spanish explorers)
dismissed it as a “worthless swamp land”, the property was sold
from one owner to the next, until the sprawling raw land was
inexorably tied to a famous name.
Recognizing the expanse of undeveloped of
property as an opportunity to define a more cultivated way of life
for Filipinos, the company now prominently known as Ayala Land began
to shape the cultural and industrial landscape of Makati. By the
1950s, with infrastructure and developments rising steadily, Makati
became a showcase of urban development and a testimony of the
company’s forward thinking.
Makati was envisioned to develop into an
integrated residential and business community networked by prominent
cities that were, at the time, the country’s central business
hubs. It began with the development of Forbes Park, which drove
other residential communities to be built in Makati that eventually
led to the city’s evolution as a distinctly sophisticated urban
setting.
Eventually, Ayala Land pioneered a new approach
to leisure by fusing the concept of shopping and entertainment.
Signaling a new era in commercial development was the establishment
of the first commercial center in 1956 which offered diverse retail
and dining destinations. The district’s business arena began to
take form in the 1970’s when Ayala Avenue, then flanked by
mid-rise office structures, began to draw giant companies and
financial institutions that earned Makati as one of the most coveted
addresses in the country.
Ayala Land’s commitment to redefine people’s
lifestyles is best illustrated in it’s continuing endeavor to
offer city-dwellers homes and venues that encompass the diversity of
the Filipinos’ needs. The epitome of this is Legazpi Village,
recognized for its unique blend of residential and commercial
destinations. Recognizing this favorable environment prompted
Community Innovations – Ayala Land’s standard bearer for
innovation – to build residential milestones like The Columns
Legazpi Village (TCLV) to make most out of the location’s bohemian
charm and use its strategic location at the heart of Makati’s
booming commercial, lifestyle and business district.
“We have been experiencing a lot of
clamor for homes that will complement the success of the market –
basically empowering the residents through convenience,” shares
Dan Abando, president of Community Innovations. “The desire to
live in an elegant home with views of the park and being a stone’s
throw away from places of worship, shopping destinations, as well as
unique dining and retail options are growing. We see Legazpi Village
as the perfect location for this and expect Community Innovations to
once again set the standards of high-powered residential living in
the area,” he adds.
As a developer deeply tied to the legacy and
success of the nation’s leading business district, the latter
ideals are not too far from reality. Today, it may be about being a
few steps away from everything or the ideals of fitness and the
active lifestyle, but through innovation, Abando says the concept of
a high-powered residential living taking its rightful place in the
most dynamic city in the country is not too farfetched.
“There is a lot more that the city of Makati
has to offer, and of course, we would like to explore the concepts
that define the ideals of today’s urbanites and make them a
reality,” he says.
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