Roberto
Guest
I got this second hand, I was not at the meeting but am confident it is accurate and hopefully will will be confirmed by others.
Yesterday afternoon, the new Mayor and his staff held a meeting with local HOA reps and realtors, to provide an update on Peñasco’s ongoing development:
Cruise Port Believe it or not, this is finally becoming a reality! Congress has approved an initial 190 million peso budget to get started right away (total investment is estimated at 600 million pesos). Formal announcement, with a commitment from at least one cruise operator, is expected the beginning of February, with construction to commence in March or April. So, say "hasta luego" to Wrecked at The Reef, Mar Blu, Reef RV Park, etc. Renderings and designs were displayed, showing two 330 meter platforms, which will accommodate ships capable of carrying 4000 passengers, plus 2500 crew. Projected completion date is January, 2015!
Convention Center Construction is progressing very nicely. They plan to have it completed and ready for business by the end of the year.
Airport A contract with Aeromexico is expected to be signed within the next couple weeks, based on funding split between Mayan Palace, the government, and local businesses, to subsidize empty seats, until the flights become profitable for the airline. Actual service will commence 90 days after the contract is signed, so we’re probably looking at late April or early May. The route will connect us with Hermosillo and Las Vegas, both of which are large hubs, connecting flights from all over the world.
City Streets New paving to be concrete, rather than asphalt, to include Calle 12, Calle 13, road to the convention center, and a new exit from the Old Port, at the end of the malecon, over the hill.
Highways The section of highway between the airport and the Puerto Libertad coastal highway is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, with the section from the airport to Peñasco to be completed next year.
Military Check Point It’s not going away, but it will get cleaned up, with a more formal, official presence, proposed additional lanes, and signage alerting drivers 1 km in advance, along with an explanation in English, explaining that it is there for the visitor’s safety and security.
Tourist Promotion A fund has been established for advertising, with 20% of the budget dedicated toward the social networks. Of particular importance, will be some positive, proactive promo prior to Spring Break, to offset the inevitable bashing and warnings that the media and their U.S. advertisers put out every year in an attempt to keep the travel dollars in AZ.
With all this, I feel very positive about our future here. Once the cruise port has been announced, and construction has started, this will be news all over the Western hemisphere. It will be the only home port in Mexico! As a point of embarkation and debarkation, that means an influx of thousands of new faces who will be spending time and money here prior to and after their cruise.
Yesterday afternoon, the new Mayor and his staff held a meeting with local HOA reps and realtors, to provide an update on Peñasco’s ongoing development:
Cruise Port Believe it or not, this is finally becoming a reality! Congress has approved an initial 190 million peso budget to get started right away (total investment is estimated at 600 million pesos). Formal announcement, with a commitment from at least one cruise operator, is expected the beginning of February, with construction to commence in March or April. So, say "hasta luego" to Wrecked at The Reef, Mar Blu, Reef RV Park, etc. Renderings and designs were displayed, showing two 330 meter platforms, which will accommodate ships capable of carrying 4000 passengers, plus 2500 crew. Projected completion date is January, 2015!
Convention Center Construction is progressing very nicely. They plan to have it completed and ready for business by the end of the year.
Airport A contract with Aeromexico is expected to be signed within the next couple weeks, based on funding split between Mayan Palace, the government, and local businesses, to subsidize empty seats, until the flights become profitable for the airline. Actual service will commence 90 days after the contract is signed, so we’re probably looking at late April or early May. The route will connect us with Hermosillo and Las Vegas, both of which are large hubs, connecting flights from all over the world.
City Streets New paving to be concrete, rather than asphalt, to include Calle 12, Calle 13, road to the convention center, and a new exit from the Old Port, at the end of the malecon, over the hill.
Highways The section of highway between the airport and the Puerto Libertad coastal highway is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, with the section from the airport to Peñasco to be completed next year.
Military Check Point It’s not going away, but it will get cleaned up, with a more formal, official presence, proposed additional lanes, and signage alerting drivers 1 km in advance, along with an explanation in English, explaining that it is there for the visitor’s safety and security.
Tourist Promotion A fund has been established for advertising, with 20% of the budget dedicated toward the social networks. Of particular importance, will be some positive, proactive promo prior to Spring Break, to offset the inevitable bashing and warnings that the media and their U.S. advertisers put out every year in an attempt to keep the travel dollars in AZ.
With all this, I feel very positive about our future here. Once the cruise port has been announced, and construction has started, this will be news all over the Western hemisphere. It will be the only home port in Mexico! As a point of embarkation and debarkation, that means an influx of thousands of new faces who will be spending time and money here prior to and after their cruise.
uff: