By Carla Calleja, MBA, REB
The quiz
Today you know it as one of Makati’s most sought-after addresses: condo towers, a mall, schools and offices in Poblacion. But what stood on Rockwell Center before? A) a racetrack, B) a power plant, or C) a farm?
If you picked a racetrack, you were thinking of another part of Makati: the old Santa Ana Park racetrack is where Circuit Makati rose. The answer for Rockwell is B) a power plant.
The short answer
Rockwell Center sits on the site of the Rockwell Thermal Power Plant. The plant was decommissioned in 1994, and the roughly 15.5-hectare site in Poblacion, Makati was redeveloped into Rockwell Center. Power Plant Mall, which opened in 2000, keeps the site’s history in its name.
The fuller story
For decades, the land along this stretch of Makati was industrial. A thermal power plant operated on the site, which today is home to residential towers and the mall. INQUIRER Plus describes the Rockwell Thermal Power Plant as running for more than 40 years before it was decommissioned in 1994, and Wikipedia’s entry on Rockwell Center records that the 15.5-hectare lot was previously occupied by a thermal power plant that closed in 1994.
After the plant closed, the site was redeveloped into a mixed-use community. The mall, which opened in 2000, was named Power Plant Mall, a nod to what used to stand there.
I left out a few details you may see online, such as exact construction dates and who named the site, because I could not confirm them in two reliable sources.
Myth vs fact
Myth: “Old industrial land can never become a prime address.”
Fact: Rockwell Center rose on a former power plant site. With redevelopment, land use can change completely. The same is true across Makati: Ayala Avenue was once Nielson Field, an airport, and Circuit Makati was once a racetrack.
What this means for you as a buyer or owner
- Check zoning and land-use records. Before you buy near an old industrial site or a large vacant lot, ask the city’s zoning office what the land is zoned for and whether a rezoning is pending.
- Look at what the land was before. Past use can affect clearances and future plans. Ask the seller and check the title history at the Registry of Deeds.
- Redevelopment can raise values. Areas that change use, like Rockwell, can see big shifts in demand. Ask your broker about planned projects nearby.
FAQ
Is Rockwell Center in Makati? Yes. It is in Barangay Poblacion, Makati City.
When did the power plant close? It was decommissioned in 1994.
When did Power Plant Mall open? In 2000.
How big is Rockwell Center? About 15.5 hectares.
Ask Broker Carla
Do you know another Makati “before and after” story? Comment ROCKWELL with your answer, or send me your “Broker Carla, …” question on facebook.com/carlacallejabrokerphilippines or by email at buyrentph@gmail.com. If you are looking to buy, sell or lease in Makati, I would be glad to help.
