Mérida, Yucatán — Most major investment tends to land in the city’s north, where access to the coast and Gulf breezes attracts high-rises, malls and high-end housing.
One relatively modest project, however, is quickly rising in the city’s southern half.
The Centro Cultural del Sur, in Col. Emiliano Zapata Sur south and east of the airport’s runways, brings a play space, a free cinema, and class space for music, dance and art. It will have capacity for up to 500 people.
Built with a budget of 27 million pesos, the cultural center is already 40 percent completed, and is projected to open as soon as late November. It will allow access between 400 and 500 people.
“We are committed to reducing the inequality gap between South Merida and the North,” Mayor Mauricio Vila said on Facebook.
He said projects like this help attract private investment in the south. The city has set aside over 1 billion pesos to project that help re-energize these neighborhoods, including a roads project to improve access between residential areas and places of employment.
Rehabilitations and extensions of Calle 50 and Calle 86 have already brought in self-service stores and distribution centers, among others.
“Calle 50 Sur is prettier than most of the northern avenues,” he said.
Source: La Jornada Maya
