Tensions flare over plans for Mérida’s new stadium

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Mérida’s new stadium complex is also expected to have a hotel, museum, shopping center, and other amenities. Photo: Courtesy

Canadevi, Mexico’s Chamber of the Development and Promotion of Housing Industry, says Mérida’s new multi-purpose stadium will increase property values in the city’s north. 

The arena will be north of Mérida near the Siglo XXI convention center, the Museo del Mundo Maya, and a number of large grocery stores and shopping malls

“This new stadium will radically transform the north of Mérida for the better, not just in the immediate zone surrounding it, but the entire area,” said Canadevi President Eduardo Ancona Cámara.

But critics of the new project claim that the yet-to-be-built stadium is sure to bring a litany of problems including a worsening of traffic and a parking shortage. The area is a gateway between the Centro and the beach and threatens to make trips each way much longer during events.

“All that this will bring us is noise, pollution, and traffic. The authorities say they care about our welfare, but nothing could be further from the truth, it’s all about money,” said Ana Martìn, a resident of the Sodzil Norte neighborhood in northern Mérida. 

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These concerns have been dismissed by the director of the new project, José Antonio Téllez, who described the location of the new stadium as “perfectly ideal for the needs of the city.”

In a press statement, Canadevi also insisted that the construction of the new stadium will adhere to all federal, state, and municipal norms and be environmentally sustainable. 

But several homeowners in the Cordemex area continue to express their concerns and insist that the new stadium ought to be relocated to a less densely populated part of the city, where its impact would be lessened. 

“They call it a sustainable stadium, but in all honesty, this just sounds like a ploy to get people on their side. From what I can tell there is nothing sustainable about it,” said a source working in Mérida’s City Hall who preferred to remain anonymous.

Carlos Rosado van der Gracht
Carlos Rosado van der Gracht
Born in Mérida, Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican/Canadian blogger, photographer and adventure expedition leader. He holds degrees in multimedia, philosophy, and translation from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
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