By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Laoag
City—City mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas stated
that the plan to build a mall in the city is progressing.
In doing so, she quashed
rumors that the plan has been scuttled by the prospective investor.
Ms. Fariñas disclosed that
she has learned that the investors are serious with their plan and that they
are intent on realizing the project.
However, their plans are
being delayed since they want a wider and bigger space to give them room for
future expansion.
SM Prime Holdings originally
planned to acquire 10 hectares of land but due to the high cost of the prices
given to them, they decided to scale it down to nine hectares.
Ms. Fariñas added that one
other factor in the delay was due to a lot which has more than two owners and
some of them are residing outside the country, and their caretakers cannot
decide on their own.
City assessor Engr. Ruben
Domingo, for his part, divulged that he has also learned that SM Prime Holdings
has already started paying lot owners some time ago. He added that some lot
owners have already been paid in full.
Mr. Domingo said land owners
of about eight hectares of the land wanted by the investor have already
approved of the sale or have signified their intentions to sell their lots.
Although some are still being negotiated, some owners have already closed
deals.
Mr. Domingo also clarified
that the City Assessor’s Office has had no participation either in the
negotiations for the lot or their payment. He stressed that the extent of their
participation is limited to the issuance of maps and tax declarations which they
certified.
He also mentioned that all
lots are located at Brgy. 51-B Nangalisan.
The Laoag Sangguniang
Panlungsod has also moved to facilitate the building of the mall by approving a
resolution converting agriculture lands to commercial lands at Brgy. 51-B.
Laoag councilor Joseph H.
Tamayo sponsored the measure in the hopes that the mall project would soon
begin.
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