NEX is next

The newest office building rising along Ayala Avenue is being developed by Nova Group, Biz Buzz has learned. This column was informed that NEX Tower will be offered primarily to corporate clients, many of which have been clamoring for more “grade A” office space in the central business district.

Led by businessman and real estate developer Ricardo Cuerva, NEX Tower is a 28-storey office building rising on one of the last two vacant properties along Ayala Avenue. The building is designed by SOM, the New York-based architecture firm behind 1 World Trade Center in Manhattan and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Incidentally, Cuerva carries three decades of prime construction experience. He is well-known as the builder of the first project to be completed in Bonifacio Global City, the luxury residential condominium Essensa.

According to the firm, NEX Tower “aims to redefine Ayala Avenue as the premier commercial hub of Metro Manila.”

The developer is currently in negotiations with several blue-chip multinational corporations that seek to establish their headquarters in the heart of Makati. In addition to the state-of-the-art office floors, the retail podium at ground level will have a selection of premium locators such as a specialty cafe and a modern bistro.

“The new development seeks to engage the business and residential community around it and reenergize Ayala Avenue,” he said. “The country’s premier business address is lined with a number of aging buildings that are ripe for redevelopment. NEX Tower seeks to spark a renaissance in Makati and reestablish it as the foremost central business district of the nation.”