Two new buildings costing a total of nearly PhP80 million that will host car parks, an art bank, horse stables, barangay offices and commercial spaces will rise at Wright Park as part of its rejuvenation program.
This after mayor Benjamin Magalong signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Public Works and Highways with the latter implementing the approved projects and included in its 2022 budget.
The construction of the buildings will soon start after the city council approved the said MOA during its regular session last Monday.
The MOA will see the DPWH shoulder the cost of the construction of the PhP29.4 million Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating GAPS (SIPAG) Multipurpose Building the PhP49.5 million Basic Infrastructure Program Multipurpose Building.
During said city council session, City Environment and Park Management Officer Rhenan Diwas told the council members that it was their office that prepared the project proposals for the construction of the two structures which formed part of the Wright Park Rejuvenation Program of the city government.
He said the proposed projects, however, were listed under the Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating GAPS and Basic Infrastructure Program of the DPWH since the park rejuvenation program is not included in their “menu” of projects.
He said the SIPAG building will be a two-story structure with a half-way basement that will be utilized as car port for 10 vehicles. The first floor will have 30 2×2 meter food stalls to be occupied by existing concessionaires in the area. The second floor will be the new home of Lualhati Barangay which includes the barangay office and other offices and will also serve as an art bank.
The PhP49.5-million building is also a two-story structure that will have a basement to be used as a parking facility that can accommodate 40 vehicles.
The ground floor will be a stable that can house 32 horses and will have a veterinary clinic to look into the welfare of the horses, while the upper ground floor will have 92 commercial stalls.
Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan expressed hope that the two projects would be implemented “at the soonest possible time.”
Councilor Leandro Yangot, Jr., who is into art, said that opening an art bank will be good for the city’s efforts to truly make the city as a creative hub.
“The more art bank, the better. They got the idea from us,” said the councilor named as artist-councilor of the year by a local paper, who started free arts lessons for young artists as well as spearheaded the Climate Action wall at the Legarda Road near Marcos Highway. Yangot looks forward to open the first art bank in the city early next month during the celebration of art month nationwide.
The city has earlier started the rejuvenation project at said park including the cleaning of the reflection pool which will soon have a dancing fountain. Pigeon Lobien
