Westgate Center seen to set trend in Alabang retailing

Innovative property developer Filinvest Alabang Inc. is to set to launch a new lifestyle center called ‘Westgate’ within the burgeoning Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang, Muntinlupa. The project is expected to be on-stream by September 2002.

It will be the second retail development for Filinvest, coming on the heels of the 200,000 sq.m. Festival Supermall.

Bucking flat rates of growth in the real-estate sector, Filinvest is bullish on the prospects of Westgate, which will combine destination shopping with dining and entertainment. Unlike traditional entertainment centers, which come to life only in the evenings, Westgate is a day-to-night concept that promises a complete and well-rounded shopping and lifestyle experience thus assuring continued customer traffic and patronage 24 hours a day. By night, Westgate will provide the perfect setting for alfresco wining and dining and entertainment activities.

This new and exciting development is set to meet the changing needs of consumer and retailers by providing low-rise, specialty lifestyle center. Its architectural set up will provide for a sophisticated shopping experience with the convenience of drive-up retail in an open-air streetscape and park-like environment. Westgate will also provide the comfort of an all-weather shopping experience with its canopied walkways that will link buildings within the area. Its wide sidewalk will be for ideal for street partying and other outdoor fun events.

Westgate sits on a 9.5-hectare property accessible to three major road networks. Alabang Zapote Road, Filinvest Avenue and Commerce Avenue. Westgate is expected to draw traffic from the rich corridor of posh subdivisions in the Alabang area.

The masterplanned, mixed-used development will be comprised of three sectors: the "Home Precinct" featuring home furnishing, electronics, destination fitness-gym and spa, as will as specialty food, coffee and deli outlets. The "Central Precinct" will have fine-dining restaurants as well as clubs and other leisure centers, including bookstores, sports and hobby shops. The "Auto Precinct" features a series of car retail and accessory stores as well as showrooms and service centers alongside quick service restaurants and convenience stores.