City officials requested the City Engineering Office’s Traffic and Transport Management Division to provide the local legislative body a traffic impact assessment study on the proposed Gibraltar satellite market.
Under Resolution No. 124, series of 2021, local legislators stated that during a recent presentation, important issues and concerns were raised on the proposed put up of the multi-million Gibraltar satellite market, such as traffic, in the event that the construction and operation of the facility will push through.
Earlier, the City Planning and Development Office conducted a feasibility study on the proposed construction of the multi-million Gibraltar satellite market that was presented to the members of the local legislative body.
Subsequently, the council also passed Resolution No. 123, series of 2021, that formally accepted the plan, design and feasibility study of the proposed Gibraltar satellite market conducted by the City Planning and Development Office and City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) subject to revisions.
However, the council suggested to the concerned offices to consider all the recommendations of the body and for the incorporation or inclusion of a culture-based façade in the architectural design of the proposed Gibraltar satellite market.
From the previous P40 million proposed funding of the project, the same increased to P110 million for the put up of the 5-story Gibraltar satellite market.
However, during the regular management committee meeting, city officials are now considering to downgrade the design of the proposed Gibraltar satellite market following the issues raised by the members of the local finance committee on where to source the additional funds that will augment the earlier P40 million that was earmarked for one of the city’s flagship projects.
City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña advised the City Planning and Development Office and the CBAO to work on the downscaling of the plan and design of the Gibraltar satellite project to conform with the available funds so that the project will already be implemented the soonest to avoid unnecessary delays in the realization of the project.
The Gibraltar satellite market was envisioned to be one of the city’s show window in the said area where it will provide the necessary market requirements of the residents to help in decongesting the city public market from the influx of both residents and visitors wanting to purchase goods for their basic needs in their homes.
The city plans to improve existing satellite markets in the different barangays to ensure that these will accommodate more vendors that can sell quality goods at affordable prices so that residents in the said areas will be convinced to patronize them and not always flock to the central business district to satisfy their need for quality goods.
Under this year’s annual budget, the local government provided funds for the improvement and upgrading of a number of satellite markets that are based in strategic barangays in the city so that the said facilities will have a uniform design. By Dexter A. See