Reviving up Carriedo as shoppers’ haven

How about Singapore and Hong Kong-like shopping experience in Carriedo?

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza said the city government is now working on the redevelopment of Carriedo street in Quiapo to redeem the old glory of the place.

Atienza said that Quiapo is one of the landmarks of the City of Manila and he intends to transform the stretch of Carriedo into a premier shopping destination.

The mayor said that Carriedo is an ideal shopping area since "it is right at the heart of Quiapo and is very near the corner of Rizal and Recto Avenues where the Light Rail Transit (LRT 1) and the (LRT 2) lines would converge."

"That will complement with what Quiapo is now known for – a destination for devout Catholics.

"Along Carriedo, there are long lines of business establishments and vending stalls which we hope to redesign to attract more people," he said.

Atienza added that the development plan would also strengthen the efforts of the city government to significantly minimize, if not prevent, criminal activities in Quiapo.

"What we want is to make Quiapo a safe place for church-goers and shoppers.

"We don’t want people to go there with a feeling that anytime, an unlawful individual would prey on them," he said.

Under the Carriedo redevelopment plan, concave overhead panels made of polycarbonate roofing sheets or similar translucent materials will be installed between the buildings to protect the middle portion from the elements.

Eventually, the middle portion will be airconditioned and the buildings will also be interconnected on the second floor with elevated walkways.

"After Carriedo, we will also be redeveloping Rizal and Recto Avenues as well as the side streets such as Villalobos and Hidalgo, and then circle back to Quezon Boulevard," he said.

"The whole block would then become a shopping area where you could buy quality consumer goods at very affordable prices," Atienza said.

He also pointed out to the property owners that the income from the operation of their properties once these are redeveloped, would increase by as much as 1,000 percent.

Atienza hinted that the project has the nod of the property owners in Carriedo.

"We presented the blueprint during a meeting with the Carriedo property owners recently and they were very enthusiastic."

The city government is hoping that it could start the project around middle of this year.

If pushed through, Carriedo will be closed to vehicular traffic and transformed into a covered pedestrian shopping strip similar to Bookies Junction in Singapore and Fremont Avenue in Las Vegas.

The buildings, especially the dilapidated ones, along the street would also be renovated.

The mayor said the city government would undertake the required redevelopment of the public infrastructure in the area such as the street, sidewalks and drainage system.

On the other hand, property owners have three options – they can either sell the property to private developers or investors, or enter into a joint venture project with the developers and share in the income of the property, or redevelop the properties themselves.

"As the buildings in Carriedo are being redeveloped using any three options we presented, the city government would take care of remodeling and improving the area in the middle consisting of the street itself and the sidewalks on both sides," he said.