THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board has deferred the approval of the construction of the Grand Central Terminal for the three mass rail transits (MRT) near SM North EDSA as a rival mall operator lobbied to relocate the station close to its area.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA Director-General Ralph Recto said the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) suspended the presentation of the project before the NEDA Board, which President Arroyo chairs.

Recto said Vice President Noli de Castro has proposed to the transport department the transfer of the planned Metro Manila Integrated Rail Terminal (MMIRT) to the empty National Housing Authority (NHA) property near TriNoma Mall, operated by Ayala Land Inc. (ALI).

Earlier, the NEDA Cabinet Committee approved the P777.6 million MMIRT project to be constructed in front of SM North Edsa Annex.

The MMIRT aims to provide a common terminal for easy passenger transfer between Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) and Line 7 (MRT 7), as well as the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1), which is being extended from its Monumento terminal.

At the Vice President’s instance, Recto met with Antonio Aquino, ALI president, to discuss the proposal.

Recto told reporters after the closed-door meeting on Wednesday that ALI, however, did not give any indication whether it is willing to spend for a portion of the project.

“Ayala Land did not give any indication to that effect. But, clearly, government will be looking at the alternative location because its near both TriNoma and SM. It will satisfy both malls and be profitable for the NHA. In the end, you’ll have a better Grand Central Terminal,” the NEDA chief said.

Recto said the Vice President’s proposal “is the most pragmatic location for the [Grand] Central Terminal. It is just at the corner of EDSA. But of course, the DOTC will have to decide on it.”

Earlier, the government was courting the SM group to infuse capital into the construction of an elevated grand terminal that would be walking distance to commuters of all lines situated near the intersection of EDSA, North Avenue and West Avenue.

Changing the approved location of the MMIRT, another official of NEDA said, would mean another two to four months of project delay.

The common terminal has a target completion date of May 2010 for the viaduct and expected revenue operation by August 2010. The LRT 1 North Extension Project has an original four stations—Monumento, Balintawak, Rosevelt and North Avenue.

The Balintawak station will provide modal interchange with bus and jeepney services entering Metro Manila from the north via the North Luzon Expressway.

Once the extension is complete, the LRT 1 is expected to serve about 800,000 to 1 million passengers.

The LRT 1 North Extension Pro­ject, which aims to close the EDSA Loop, will need three additional stations from the existing Monumento Station and ending at the North Avenue Station of MRT 3.