PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Construction of the Common Station is in front of SM North EDSA Annex with three lines thru Line 1, MRT3 & MRT7.
"Closing the Loop" involves constructing an additional station is in front of SM City North EDSA Annex with three lines thru Line 1, MRT-3 & MRT-7. Building in between LRT-1's Roosevelt Station and MRT Line 3's North Avenue Station in front of Trinoma Mall in order to connect the two lines. Passengers will be able to transfer from one line to another without leaving the LRT/MRT complex.
In mid 2009, during the 41st National Economic Development Agency (NEDA) Board Meeting and Cabinet Meeting, the NEDA Board confirmed a proposed “Common Station” for the LRT, MRT 3 and MRT 7 to be located in front of SM North Edsa (SMNoE) Station at the present train station at corner EDSA and North Avenue. NEDA directed LRTA to accept SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPHI) PhP200M grant to help defray construction cost of LRTA line towards SMNE and have the right to name the station “SM North Edsa”.
Since approvals had already been made by strategic government agencies, LRTA proceeded to begin construction of the rail system toward North Edsa. This can be gleaned from the drilling and posts that leads to SM North Edsa (SMNE).
This plan was previously re-evaluated and in early 2009, the Investment Coordinating Council of NEDA approved DOTC’s proposal for the construction of a Common Station at SM City North EDSA Annex 2 Building to interconnect the three (3) rail systems of MRT3, MRT7 and LRT1 to SM City North EDSA Annex 2 Building. The Common Station was to be located in front of SMNE and would cost approximately PhP778M at that time.
On September 28, 2009, LRTA and SMPHI executed a MOA wherein SMPHI provided the PhP200M financial grant in consideration of (a) the building of the Common Station in front of SMNE, (b) the interconnection of the Common Station with the pertinent level of SMNE, and (c) the inclusion of the phrase “SM North EDSA” in the Common Station’s name.
Pursuant to the terms of the MOA, SMPHI released PhP200M to LRTA within 7 days from the MOA’s execution. LRTA acknowledged receipt of the funds in an official receipt dated October 16, 2009.
In late 2009, the LRTA Board approved and ratified the MOA with SMPHI.
The area in SMNE, is the most ideal location for a true “Common Station” which will seamlessly connect LRT1, MRT3 and MRT7.
That was when our President was Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
However, when President Benigno Aquino III came to power on June 30, 2010, the project was stalled indefinitely. Then DOTC Secretary Manuel Roxas II ordered a review of the project, and the agency proceeded to change certain project specifications.
The DOTC, during the leadership of Jose de Jesus, had started the original procurement process for the then P1.5-billion contract to design and build the LRT-MRT Common Station. The bidding was indefinitely postponed after the new DOTC officials under Mar Roxas undertook a review of the project.
During Roxas’ time, the project was nearly scrapped with the proposal of constructing “virtual” common station with “walkalators” and covered path walks.
On May 30, 2013, the DOTC – under the helm of current Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya – announced the possibility of transferring the location of Common Station project from SM City North EDSA to Trinoma Mall, which is owned and operated by Ayala Corporation:
By November 2013, the DOTC announced that it has endorsed to the NEDA Board the “construction of head-to-head platforms for LRT1 and MRT3 at Trinoma with 147.5 meters elevated walkalator to MRT7 at North Avenue station.”
Subsequently, on November 21, 2013, the NEDA Board chaired by President Benigno Aquino III approved the revised project with a budget of P1.4 billion. DOTC expects the bidding for the project to commence within the first half of the year.
On Tuesday, June 3, asked the court to stop the government from building the proposed P1.4-billion common station that will link the 3 mass rapid railway transit system in Metro Manila at the Trinoma shopping mall owned by Ayala Land Inc.
In a petition for injunction filed before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court, SM Prime also asked the court to order the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) to honor the provisions of a memorandum agreement they signed in 2009.
Under the MOA, SM Prime said LRTA agreed to interconnect the Light Rail Transit Line 1 and Metro Rail Transit Lines 3 and 7 through a common station in front of SM City North EDSA and name the station after the mall, in exchange for a grant of P200 million from SM Prime.
"Then, suddenly, in complete breach and disregard of the terms of the MOA, and without any official notice to SMPHI despite the latter's repeated formal inquiries, the DOTC unilaterally relocated the station to Trinoma and made the same a mere component of the recently bid out LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension Project,” SM Prime in a statement said.
"SMPHI now seeks to enjoin the DOTC and LRTA from proceeding with the above plans, and instead, honor its legal obligations under the MOA,” the property firm added.
SM Prime said the proposed Common Station in front of SM North EDSA was duly approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Inter-agency Coordinating Council as a priority infrastructure project in 2007. It was approved by the NEDA Board on July 7, 2009.
However on May 29, 2013, transport officials reported the possible relocation of the proposed common station to Trinoma, saying this would generate as much as P1 billion in savings for the government.
DOTC spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal said in a text message that the agency has yet to receive a copy of the case.
“Our legal department is already reviewing the pertinent provisions of the MOA between LRTA and SM… We will be ready to defend our position in court,” Sagcal said.
However, the Supreme Court on Aug. 1 barred the transfer of the proposed P1.4-billlion common station project to the Ayala-owned TriNoma Mall from SM City North EDSA. The respondents, DoTC and Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), were given ten days from notice to comment on SM Prime Holdings, Inc.’s petition.
To recall, SM Prime sought reprieve from the high court, alleging that DoTC and LRTA violated a Sept. 28, 2009 memorandum of agreement (MoA) between SM’s property arm and the LRTA saying that the common station should be built in front of SM City North EDSA. This was after the Pasay regional trial court junked SM Prime’s application for a TRO and preliminary injunction.
Last September 12, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) awarded the LRT1 Cavite Extension Project to Light Rail Manila Consortium despite a Supreme Court stay order on the common station design component of the project.
The design of the common station was tucked into the project, which also provided that the location be moved near the Trinoma mall of Ayala Land Inc. DOTC had said its decision to move the location would save the government billions in pesos.
SM Prime Holdings Inc. had secured a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court, which halted the award based on the Henry Sy-led mall developer's claim that the project would violate a 2009 contract with state-run Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).
PROJECT LOCATION
New version
IMPLEMENTING AGENCY
Construction of the Common Station is in front of SM North EDSA Annex with three lines thru Line 1, MRT3 & MRT7.
"Closing the Loop" involves constructing an additional station is in front of SM City North EDSA Annex with three lines thru Line 1, MRT-3 & MRT-7. Building in between LRT-1's Roosevelt Station and MRT Line 3's North Avenue Station in front of Trinoma Mall in order to connect the two lines. Passengers will be able to transfer from one line to another without leaving the LRT/MRT complex.
In mid 2009, during the 41st National Economic Development Agency (NEDA) Board Meeting and Cabinet Meeting, the NEDA Board confirmed a proposed “Common Station” for the LRT, MRT 3 and MRT 7 to be located in front of SM North Edsa (SMNoE) Station at the present train station at corner EDSA and North Avenue. NEDA directed LRTA to accept SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPHI) PhP200M grant to help defray construction cost of LRTA line towards SMNE and have the right to name the station “SM North Edsa”.
Since approvals had already been made by strategic government agencies, LRTA proceeded to begin construction of the rail system toward North Edsa. This can be gleaned from the drilling and posts that leads to SM North Edsa (SMNE).
This plan was previously re-evaluated and in early 2009, the Investment Coordinating Council of NEDA approved DOTC’s proposal for the construction of a Common Station at SM City North EDSA Annex 2 Building to interconnect the three (3) rail systems of MRT3, MRT7 and LRT1 to SM City North EDSA Annex 2 Building. The Common Station was to be located in front of SMNE and would cost approximately PhP778M at that time.
On September 28, 2009, LRTA and SMPHI executed a MOA wherein SMPHI provided the PhP200M financial grant in consideration of (a) the building of the Common Station in front of SMNE, (b) the interconnection of the Common Station with the pertinent level of SMNE, and (c) the inclusion of the phrase “SM North EDSA” in the Common Station’s name.
Pursuant to the terms of the MOA, SMPHI released PhP200M to LRTA within 7 days from the MOA’s execution. LRTA acknowledged receipt of the funds in an official receipt dated October 16, 2009.
In late 2009, the LRTA Board approved and ratified the MOA with SMPHI.
The area in SMNE, is the most ideal location for a true “Common Station” which will seamlessly connect LRT1, MRT3 and MRT7.
That was when our President was Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
However, when President Benigno Aquino III came to power on June 30, 2010, the project was stalled indefinitely. Then DOTC Secretary Manuel Roxas II ordered a review of the project, and the agency proceeded to change certain project specifications.
The DOTC, during the leadership of Jose de Jesus, had started the original procurement process for the then P1.5-billion contract to design and build the LRT-MRT Common Station. The bidding was indefinitely postponed after the new DOTC officials under Mar Roxas undertook a review of the project.
During Roxas’ time, the project was nearly scrapped with the proposal of constructing “virtual” common station with “walkalators” and covered path walks.
On May 30, 2013, the DOTC – under the helm of current Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya – announced the possibility of transferring the location of Common Station project from SM City North EDSA to Trinoma Mall, which is owned and operated by Ayala Corporation:
Gov't drops SM North, eyes Trinoma as location of common station for MRT3, LRT1 (By: Darwin G. Amojelar, InterAksyon.com)
Manila, Philippines, May 30, 2013 (Updated 4:28 PM) - SM Prime Holdings Inc may lose additional foot traffic at its biggest shopping mall in the country, after the government transferred the location of a common station that would link Metro Manila's three mass rail transit lines near Trinoma, which is owned and operated by rival Ayala Land Inc.
"Clearly, we have decision there on the designs and the location. It's more of Trinoma because it's cheaper and lesser infrastructure unlike in SM [North Annex], didilim ang EDSA," Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said today.
At present, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) ends in front of the Trinoma Mall.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) earlier identified SM Annex as the location for the planned common station. SM Prime already paid P200 million to state-run Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) for the “naming rights” of the common station.
"We've talked to them. For me, I don't mind to give it [money] back. It's naming right, not really location right. We have initial meeting and if they still want, we don't mind putting SM in this new location. If they want it back, we will return it [money]," Abaya said, referring to SM Prime.
Abaya said the government is still looking into how the project will be implemented.
"We are looking at government doing it or tacking it onto LRT Line1 Extension Project and putting in the contract that this is what you will do first," he said.
The common station would connect the MRT 3 to Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2, and later on to the proposed MRT 7. The government has allotted P1.608 billion for the common station project.
At present, LRT 1 runs from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt in Quezon City, LRT 2 runs from Santolan in Pasig City to Recto in Manila while the MRT 3 runs from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City.
The planned MRT 7 will begin at Tala, Caloocan City, passing through Lagro and Fairview, Novaliches, Batasan, Diliman, Philcoa, before ending at Edsa corner North Avenue. The railway will serve an estimated two million commuters in the northern parts of Quezon and Caloocan cities.
Apart form the elevated transport system, MRT 7 proponent San Miguel Corp will also build a 17-kilometer, 6-lane asphalt access road in Marilao, Bulacan that will lead to its depot in Tala.DOTC explained that the government stands to save up to P1 billion if the common station is built in Trinoma rather than SM City North EDSA. Sec. Abaya also explained that constructing the common station at SM City North EDSA would result to “urban blight.”
By November 2013, the DOTC announced that it has endorsed to the NEDA Board the “construction of head-to-head platforms for LRT1 and MRT3 at Trinoma with 147.5 meters elevated walkalator to MRT7 at North Avenue station.”
Subsequently, on November 21, 2013, the NEDA Board chaired by President Benigno Aquino III approved the revised project with a budget of P1.4 billion. DOTC expects the bidding for the project to commence within the first half of the year.
On Tuesday, June 3, asked the court to stop the government from building the proposed P1.4-billion common station that will link the 3 mass rapid railway transit system in Metro Manila at the Trinoma shopping mall owned by Ayala Land Inc.
In a petition for injunction filed before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court, SM Prime also asked the court to order the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) to honor the provisions of a memorandum agreement they signed in 2009.
Under the MOA, SM Prime said LRTA agreed to interconnect the Light Rail Transit Line 1 and Metro Rail Transit Lines 3 and 7 through a common station in front of SM City North EDSA and name the station after the mall, in exchange for a grant of P200 million from SM Prime.
"Then, suddenly, in complete breach and disregard of the terms of the MOA, and without any official notice to SMPHI despite the latter's repeated formal inquiries, the DOTC unilaterally relocated the station to Trinoma and made the same a mere component of the recently bid out LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension Project,” SM Prime in a statement said.
"SMPHI now seeks to enjoin the DOTC and LRTA from proceeding with the above plans, and instead, honor its legal obligations under the MOA,” the property firm added.
SM Prime said the proposed Common Station in front of SM North EDSA was duly approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Inter-agency Coordinating Council as a priority infrastructure project in 2007. It was approved by the NEDA Board on July 7, 2009.
However on May 29, 2013, transport officials reported the possible relocation of the proposed common station to Trinoma, saying this would generate as much as P1 billion in savings for the government.
DOTC spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal said in a text message that the agency has yet to receive a copy of the case.
“Our legal department is already reviewing the pertinent provisions of the MOA between LRTA and SM… We will be ready to defend our position in court,” Sagcal said.
However, the Supreme Court on Aug. 1 barred the transfer of the proposed P1.4-billlion common station project to the Ayala-owned TriNoma Mall from SM City North EDSA. The respondents, DoTC and Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), were given ten days from notice to comment on SM Prime Holdings, Inc.’s petition.
To recall, SM Prime sought reprieve from the high court, alleging that DoTC and LRTA violated a Sept. 28, 2009 memorandum of agreement (MoA) between SM’s property arm and the LRTA saying that the common station should be built in front of SM City North EDSA. This was after the Pasay regional trial court junked SM Prime’s application for a TRO and preliminary injunction.
Last September 12, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) awarded the LRT1 Cavite Extension Project to Light Rail Manila Consortium despite a Supreme Court stay order on the common station design component of the project.
The design of the common station was tucked into the project, which also provided that the location be moved near the Trinoma mall of Ayala Land Inc. DOTC had said its decision to move the location would save the government billions in pesos.
SM Prime Holdings Inc. had secured a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court, which halted the award based on the Henry Sy-led mall developer's claim that the project would violate a 2009 contract with state-run Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).
The project aims to provide a common station for easy passenger transfer between & among LRT-1, MRT-3, MRT-7, & road-based transportation systems.
The proposed 6,098 square meter common station would cost P1.4 billion. Construction starts in the third quarter of 2015 and is expected to be finished by the third quarter of 2016.
The DOTC said that once completed, the common station could serve at least 69,750 passengers per day. The DOTC added that passengers could transfer from an LRT 1 train to an MRT 3 train in just about a minute using the common station.
they construct the common station in front of SM North to accommodate LRT1, MRT3 and MRT7, and at the same time, improve North Avenue MRT-3 Station by adding LRT-1 to its service. well it will help LRT1 commuters who will go to Quezon City Business District in the future.
The proposed 6,098 square meter common station would cost P1.4 billion. Construction starts in the third quarter of 2015 and is expected to be finished by the third quarter of 2016.
The DOTC said that once completed, the common station could serve at least 69,750 passengers per day. The DOTC added that passengers could transfer from an LRT 1 train to an MRT 3 train in just about a minute using the common station.
they construct the common station in front of SM North to accommodate LRT1, MRT3 and MRT7, and at the same time, improve North Avenue MRT-3 Station by adding LRT-1 to its service. well it will help LRT1 commuters who will go to Quezon City Business District in the future.
PROJECT LOCATION
- 994 Epifanio de los Santos Avenue corner North Avenue, Barangay Santo Cristo, Bago Bantay, Project 7, Quezon City 1105
IMPLEMENTING AGENCY
- Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)
- Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)
- Asec. Jaime Raphael C. Feliciano at (+63-2) 725-0013
- July 2014 to September 2015
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