Invigorating the heart of Durianburg

Davao is growing in leaps and bounds with the national players like SM, Ayala, and Camella taking the lead in developing new areas of the city. One would wonder now what happen to the older sections of downtown Davao City?
 Well, wonder no more with the unveiling and groundbreaking of Felcris Centrale, a master planned mixed use development by the Yap family of Felcris, the local player who is responsible for the success of Davao Central Warehouse Club, Davao Central Convenience Store, Felcris Superstores and Chimes Specialty Store.
 Covering more than 54,000 square meters of floor area, Felcris Centrale will feature a 12-storey commercial complex with a 10-floor office space and a two-level retail and entertainment center complete with supermarket, boutiques, restaurants, and specialty shops. It will feature a new mall which offers an exciting and eccentric mix of shops and restaurants that is complemented by a fully-landscaped activity and entertainment area. The interior walkways will showcase Davao as the “Fruit and Flower Basket of the Philippines” consisting of flower stalls, fruit stalls, local delicacies and handicrafts
 What I love about the project is that I am a downtown Davao urbanite and with all 5.9 hectares located right along Quimpo Boulevard, this means Felcris Centrale will be an exciting jolt at the heart of downtown Davao City, which has not seen any big commercial developments in a long time.
 Designing the project is the team from Palafox Associates which is also responsible for other iconic developments in the Philippines and abroad. “We took design inspirations from Mindanao and Davao when it came to the look of the project” says Ms. Cassandra Yap, Executive Vice President of Felcris Centrale “if you notice, the trellises look like the sails of a vinta while the upward curve of the business tower is a salute to Davao moving up”
 “In this new endeavour, we intend to take the next step in our family’s vision. This has been a life long dream of the Yap family” says Cassandra of what could be downtown Davao’s newest lifestyle hub. Also along the pipeline is phase two of the project that will eventually have a hotel and residential towers.
 And with Felcris Centrale’s scheduled opening next year, I can definitely say that the dream is coming true fast.