Sta. Ana comes full circle with Circuit

MANILA, Philippines - Way before Sta. Ana was known for its race track, it had been the home to the world’s largest cabaret. While it was a place for men of class to dance with women for a ticket price, it also featured entertainment in the form of dance or song performances.

But the Sta. Ana Cabaret, which was made primarily of wood, was destroyed by Typhoon Yoling in November 1970, paving the way for the introduction of a race track in 1937. The Sta. Ana Turf Club, the forerunner to what is now the Philippine Racing Club, started when enterprising Filipinos and Americans decided to introduce thoroughbred horse-racing here. The hippodrome closed in 2008.

Fast-forward to today, Ayala Land, Inc. together with the local government of Makati, and the Makati Commercial Estate Association, Inc. (MACEA), has revealed phase one of their five-year P20-billion program that will transform Sta. Ana into a modern urban entertainment district complete with hotels, residences, and offices.

During a press conference at the Raffles Hotel, Ayala Land Inc. Vice President and Head of the Strategic Landbank Management Group Meean Dy presented their group’s plan for the 21-hectare development named Circuit.

“When you think entertainment, you usually think Macau or Las Vegas,” Dy said. “Even Singapore has a casino in Marina Bay Sands. But in respect of the residential community already there and the one we will create, we did not feel that a casino has a place in the development. So we set our sights on other inspirations: the vibrancy of Tokyo, the talent in London’s West End, the trend-setting in New York’s fashion week, and the expansiveness of Chicago’s Millennium Park. Circuit will be anchored on interactive family fun.”

Circuit will have three distinct entertainment venues: a 1,500 seater indoor performing arts theatre, an interactive central walk, and an open-air events ground.
The Circuit Theatre is being designed to meet Broadway standards and will feature both world-class Filipino entertainment and foreign plays. It will have a 96 sq.m. stage and an orchestra pit that can fit at least 60 musicians.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a CCP in Makati?” Dy says. “Catch a world-class musical after work without needing to rush out of the business district just to catch a 7PM performance… this is what we want to achieve.”

The Circuit Lane, meanwhile, will feature an interactive walk with a multi-purpose black box for more intimate shows, recitals, workshops, and parties. I twill cross the entire length of the district, highlighted by a distinct water feature flanked by an array of retail and leisure shops.

Dy describes it as a water-oriented Bonifacio High Street and that it’s going to “blur the lines between indoor and outdoor space.”

Then there is the Circuit Event Grounds, a two-hectare venue that can accommodate 20,000 people for various events such as concerts, dance and theatre performances, fashion shows, and even outdoor sporting events such as football.

“The Circuit Event Grounds will feature a 2,000-square-meter canopy area, which can house up to 1,000 people, and is set to be the preferred entertainment venue in the metro, hosting numerous outdoor events and activities providing fun for all,” said Mel Ignacio, Project Development Head for Makati.

A FIFA-sized football turf will be ready by fourth quarter to welcome football fanatics, Dy adds. It will feature bleachers for 2000 people, proper lockers, showers, and complemented by a sports retail area. A football school, in partnership with a world-renowned football team, is also in the works.

In an effort to really distinguish itself from other urban entertainment venues, Circuit will have its own skate park where skateboarders can unleash their creative energies and skills in a contained and safe environment. It will be open by the third quarter following international safety standards. Dy says that they are hoping it will become a good venue for international skating tournaments and exhibitions.

“In the past, the race track has provided entertainment for generations of horse-racing aficionados. Now, Ayala land intends to preserve the district’s entertainment equity by bringing in a multi-faceted form of entertainment, one that is both interactive and world-class,” she notes, adding that the name Circuit Makati was coined in honor of the site’s heritage.