Uayma is an unassuming town of under 3,000 people best known for its ornate 17th-century church — but big changes are in the works.
AR Desarolladora Peninsular has announced its plans to invest tens of millions of dollars in the tiny town of Uayma.
The real estate developer has applied for a permit to cut down 100 acres of jungle to begin the first phase of construction, according to Diario de Yúcatán.
The complex described by AR Desarolladora Peninsular includes 69 large housing lots, clubhouses, an outdoor amphitheater, pools, and other services.
There are also plans to transform Uayma into a tourism hub by building hotels and offering transfers to Chichén Itzá and Valladolid, both of which are roughly half an hour away.
Despite the developer’s assurances that the project is in the community’s best interest, locals are expressing concern.
“We are not sure what to think. Sure jobs are needed, but this seems like too much too soon… we are proud of where we live and don’t want concrete covering everything,” Uayma resident Carlos Cupul told Yucatán Magazine during a brief interview.
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Because of its relative seclusion, Uayma is home to dozens of species of birds, several species of mammals, and reptiles—all of which have already suffered considerable habitat loss from projects such as the Tren Maya.
Another concern expressed by locals has to do with the lack of infrastructure to handle large amounts of waste, as well as drainage.
Though visitors to Uayma are not infrequent, they usually arrive in modest numbers, mainly to take in the beauty of its church and the town’s charm.
Before the arrival of the Spanish, Uayma was a Maya city under the domain of the chiefdom known as the Cupules.
