These boutique developers are constructing medium-scale office projects in strategic neighborhoods outside the central business districts such as Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City.
One developer, Fabella Realty Corporation, built the nine-storey Shaw Center and tapped a major retailer to operate a supermarket and department store on the retail floors.
The fourth to ninth floors of the building are BPO-ready office floors with a typical floor plate of 2,200 square meters.
According to JLL local director Phillip Anonuevo, office buildings like the Shaw Center are attractive to BPOs because these buildings are just a ride or two away from the residential districts of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati as well as Quezon City.
The Shaw Center is the fourth BPO building along Shaw Boulevard. Other smaller-scale BPO-ready officers are found in Kamuning, Quezon City and similar neighborhoods.
“A location near the homes of potential employees is considered a plus by BPOs now keenly competing amongst themselves for employees. As the metropolis continues to suffer from congestion brought about by record economic growth and limited new infrastructure, work places closer to home simply make better sense,” said Anonuevo.
The presence of a supermarket, department store and dining outlets within the building is also attractive to BPO firms because these establishments cater to the lifestyle and spending power of BPO employees.
The office floors, in turn, are a steady source of foot traffic for the retailers.
“It becomes a win-win situation for both the retailer seeking new markets and the BPO employer in need of new hires,” Anonuevo added.
Facilities within office buildings like Shaw Center also match those within the established business districts.
Shaw Center is fully equipped for 24/7 BPO operations with redundant generator sets, VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) air-conditioning, and six high speed elevators.
The building is also designed to accommodate only one or two BPO locators, which discourages poaching of employees, according to Anonuevo.
“We foresee more buildings like this altering the landscape of the city and the character of residential communities,” he said.
BPO firms that choose to locate in lower-rent residential-commercial areas like Mandaluyong are also generating significant savings on office rent, which is another advantage for the BPO industry, which is expected to keep expanding beyond 2020.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
