SPOTLIGHT: MCKINLEY HILL

McKinley Hill: A centerpiece community creating value in Taguig
Mar 07, 2007

Megaworld Corporation, the country’s leading residential condominium developer and business process outsourcing (BPO) landlord, has long been an architect of urban lifestyles in Metro Manila’s choicest locations. By continuously expanding its communities to accommodate evolving needs, Megaworld provides complete settings for people to live, work and play.

The McKinley Hill township in Fort Bonifacio exemplifies Megaworld’s commitment to rejuvenate—if not transform—the landscape in Taguig City. This 50-hectare community is one of the developer’s most ambitious ventures following its Eastwood City project in Quezon City. By integrating residential, commercial, office and institutional properties at McKinley Hill, Megaworld enhances the market value of the land and its neighboring areas. This, in turn, drives economic and societal development in Taguig.

Growth

McKinley Hill started out as a 25-hectare property called Lawton Parkway in Fort Bonifacio. In July 2003, Megaworld forged an agreement with the Alliance Global Group, Inc. (AGGI) for a 50-50 joint redevelopment of the site. AGGI had won the nod of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the government agency that manages the privatization and redevelopment of former military bases in the country, to redevelop Lawton Parkway. Megaworld was tapped by AGGI as a partner based on its record as a developer of landmark communities such as Eastwood City.

In February 2004, Megaworld purchased 10 more hectares from BCDA to make McKinley Hill even bigger. In the same year, Megaworld leased 16 additional hectares from the Taguig city government for 25 years with renewal rights. The leased property is zoned exclusively for various educational and institutional establishments and sporting facilities.

Expansion Plans

At 50 hectares, McKinley Hill may be one of Metro Manila’s most impressive communities in terms of scale, but Megaworld continues to look into opportunities for expansion.

The developer recently expressed interest in acquiring the 35.5-hectare JUSMAG property in Fort Bonifacio, which the BCDA will formally put on the market next year. The land, previously occupied by retired military and police officers and their families, will give way to a new mixed-use community featuring low- to medium-density residences that complement the Forbes Park and Dasmariñas villages nearby. It will be developed through a joint venture with a private company.

For Megaworld, the JUSMAG property enjoys an advantageous location. It is located right behind Forbes Park in Makati and a mere 100 meters away from McKinley Hill. Megaworld is confident that in developing the property as part of its township, it will generate more investment and employment opportunities in the area. This will not only offer maximum returns to the city government but also help in its vision to make Taguig a premier city by 2020.

High-end Homes

Today, Megaworld’s vision of a first-class enclave is fast taking shape at McKinley Hill, particularly in its residential block. The first residential phase, McKinley Hill Village, is an upscale subdivision that offers 482 prime lots. The project is now complete, as is Upper McKinley Road, the two-kilometer, tree-lined main avenue that connects it to the Makati business district. McKinley Hill Village has attracted a growing number of customers since its launch in May 2004.

Phase 1 of the McKinley Hill Garden Villas joins the residential lot offerings. Two four-story clusters have been reserved for the exclusive use of the teachers of the American International School. Meanwhile, 40 limited edition executive studios are hosted in two other five-story clusters. In the offing is Phase 2 of the project, which boasts no more than 30 condominium units in each of its four six-story clusters.

The Stamford Executive Residences is another of McKinley Hill’s newest attractions. This project showcases studio units, play amenities at the roof deck level and a retail area at the ground floor.

Both the Garden Villas and Stamford are more than 60 percent taken up.

Meanwhile, a commercial hub, together with a town center and community amenities such as parks, churches and a sports plaza, will offer a variety of leisure options to residents.

New IT Park

Brisk activity is also taking place at the McKinley Hill CyberPark. McKinley Hill’s 15-hectare corporate block follows on the heels of Megaworld’s successful Eastwood City CyberPark, the first information technology (IT) park in the country. It will host initially at least over 200,000 square meters of office space over the next five years.

Already in progress is the construction of One World Square, the first office tower to rise in the community. The 11-story, 30,000-square-meter building is slated for completion by the first half of 2007. Construction of two more office towers, Two World Square and Three World Square is in the pipeline. Each building offers about 25,000 square meters of office space.

As an economic zone approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, the McKinley Hill CyberPark offers a package of strategic incentives to local and foreign companies specializing in IT and BPO services.

World-class Community

To lend an “international” feel to McKinley Hill, Megaworld has forged ties with two prestigious entities for its institutional block: Enderun Colleges and the British Embassy.

Enderun, with the academic consulting support of Les Roches Swiss Hotel Association School of Hotel Management, is offering top-notch training in the global hospitality industry at its 17,000-square-meter school project. The British Embassy, on the other hand, will establish its new headquarters at a 1.2-hectare property at the site.

Other upcoming school partners such as the Korean and Chinese International Schools will add a strong “learn” component to McKinley Hill with their respective campuses.

By continuously “growing” McKinley Hill and building new projects to complement existing ones, Megaworld is reinventing the way people live and interact in the 21st century.

Photo credit: Skyscrapercity