Vinz8000

 

 

 

 Ian Y. Cruz, president of FTC Group of Companies, hopes to help change that view with the construction of Aeon Towers, touted to be the tallest structure in the city by the time it is finished in 2016.

“The next trend here will definitely be high-rise. This (Aeon) will be the first and definitely one of the biggest,” Mr. Cruz said in a recent interview.

And in order to showcase the creativity and skill of Davaoeños, Mr. Cruz said he made it a point to hire the project’s designers, suppliers and workers from the local work force.

This is not the first property venture of Mr. Cruz’s company.

FTC Tower, an eight-level building on Mt. Apo St. here, hosts commercial spaces on the first floor, doctor’s spaces in the middle floors and the Green Windows dormitory on the top floors.

From the original plan of 45 floors, Aeon Towers was scaled down to just 30 floors, plus five levels underground.

This, after the Air Transport Office (ATO) warned that the location was along a regular flight route to the airport.

To be located right next to the Ayala Abreeza complex on J.P. Laurel Ave. in Bajada district, Aeon Towers will be nearly double the current tallest structure in the city, the 18-storey Marco Polo Hotel at the city’s downtown.

Other developers also have major plans, including Ayala Land’s 26-storey Abreeza Residences.

FTC does not consider Abreeza Residences a direct competitor though, Mr. Cruz said.

“We learned that [Ayala] was already planning a condo when we started our own. The family thought what kind of condo they would build.We realized they are into upper middle-class market, so either we have it low-end or high-end,” he explained.

In a speech delivered for Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio during the soft opening of the Aeon Towers showroom last month, Jason C. Magnaye, chief of the Davao City Investment Promotions Center said, “We are extremely proud that amid all these real estate giants, a local company has been changing the game, proving that one reason Davao is able to compete with the rest of the country is… because talented Dabawenyos are able to compete with the best of them.”

Conceptualized by Manila-based architect Dennis J. Litonjua, Aeon Towers will use fiber-optic technology to hot-wire the whole building into one control facility.

“I’m very privileged to have worked with the FTC group’s new generation of leaders who are very aggressive, creative and articulate and, with this line of thought [sic], it’s very easy for me to come up with a design that will reflect Davaoeños ideas of this kind of building,” he said.

In designing Aeon Towers, Mr. Litonjua said he used his experience from having worked with Hyatt Sanctuary Cove in Australia and Novotel Inn in Singapore.

“This building is equipped with smart home technology so you can monitor your unit using your iPhones, iPads or laptop computers,” Mr. Litonjua said.

With this wireless technology, condo owners will be able to have full control of their environment with the touch-screen wireless controller.

They can dim the lights, turn on the air-conditioner, draw curtains, play their favorite music, adjust water temperature, control door access with different sets of password for family members, or see who is knocking outside with the video door phone.

Mr. Cruz added that the building’s sky deck will have an infinity pool along with a good view of Samal Island, an open grill restaurant, souvenir shop, a multipurpose hall, and garden deck.