Official Groundbreaking Ceremony for Home Cruise Port

I understand that Governor Padres is attending the official groundbreaking ceremony for the Home Cruise Port today. If anyone on the forum attended would love to hear your report and see pictures. According to AccuWeather it looks like it is a beautiful day for it. Thank you.

Terry, thanks for the picture. Any indication of which cruise line(s) will be calling Penasco home?

Wow, our jetty just took on a whole new identity. I thought it was going to be a pier. Looks to me like they intend to build a small city on it! Black mountain should be scared!

I was there I will post as well

Russ, did they give a schedule for the course of construction for the port in addition to the general plan? thanks

I wonder where they are planning on parking all the cars for the passengers?

They will obviously need a safe, secure location - fenced and guarded - so that people aren't afraid to leave their car for 7 days. It is so close to AZ, CA, etc., that those people would find it easier and less expensive than flying in for the most part. Also assume they will have shuttles coming down.

They can park in my Penasco garage for a low low price of $100 a day, and a free car wash, and ride to / from the port included. :)

I feel like it's 2005 all over again!!!! These renderings are a joke! Where's the Formula One track? Must have gotten cut out of the picture...

From RP 360 a summary of the event yesterday!

At approximately noon on Jan. 29th, accompanied by Port and Merchant Marines Coordinator Guillermo Ruiz de Teresa, and numerous state and municipal officials, Sonora Governor Guillermo Padrés Elías paid a visit to Puerto Peñasco to review progress on breakwater construction of what will become the city’s Home Port.


Fotos: Comunicación Social Estatal

After hearing technical details about the project, which began in earnest on January 3rd of this year following the project launch in December of 2013, Governor Padrés made assurances this would boost employment and tourism both for the port and Sonora itself. Investment in the project will reach nearly 600 million pesos. “This will be a catalyst and trigger for the ongoing growth of Peñasco, as well as sustaining Sonora well above the national average in the creation of jobs,” he stated.

Guillermo Ruiz de Teresa, Port and Marine Merchant Coordinator, expressed this project is an example of how imagination can become set in stone, transforming into a Home Port that will create jobs.

“This is what imagination can create: money, jobs, development, and tourism. This is imagination set in stone. Yet, this project also requires rooms, [and] supply areas; it is not just a dock. We are going to develop a dock, but all the rest as well,” remarked Ruiz de Teresa.

The Home Port, as detailed by State Coordinator of Tourism Promotion Javier Tapia Camou, will eventually have the capacity for up to three cruise ships with a 880 meter protection dock reaching 13 meters deep, along with the departure and arrival terminal for cruise goers and their luggage.

Once the Home Port begins operations in [late] 2015, expectations are for an economic boost of $330,000 dollars at each cruise ship stopping point, and double this at departure points such as Puerto Peñasco.

**On edit, I was told that this trip was a precursor to a trip planned by the Mexican President later. The President was to be here in December but had to cancel as he traveled overseas for Madelas memorial.** ** 2nd edit - the financial dedication to the project is huge first investment 195 million pesos, and the second step 300 million pesos, this is just for 2014.**

I hear you Joe, but I hope this deal really works out. The rendering looks really cool and if completed would be a great addition to SB. It would have to create lots of new jobs for the people of RP and put a lot more money in the local economy which has been struggling for years. Anything good for the locals and the town is a good thing. Hopefully the government funding will continue long enough to get this deal built because it gonna be really, really expensive.

Landshark said:

. Hopefully the government funding will continue long enough to get this deal built because it gonna be really, really expensive.

Agreed... I couldn't help but notice all those towers in the rendering. Wouldn't you agree that any funding for that (if it exists) should go towards finishing the skeletons already on Sandy Beach?

Hola Ben, I'll chime in if that's ok.....The towers could be finished but as everyone knows there will be no one to buy them, they were built in an overheated economy and it was not sustainable.
The creation of the home port, as part of the overall plan is to raise interest in our port worldwide. This in turn will attract investors and buyers or renters to the condos.

There is no doubt that the building frenzy was over the top. This seems to be a good idea to me but I guess it could be a chicken and egg thing.

Time will tell.

Often times these rendering are meant to show what is planned over a 10-20 year period. This particular rendering is showing the finished project. We could be talking about multiple phases over several years. I assume the 1st phase will probably be the home port, terminal and maybe 1 hotel (not sure that is even in phase 1 of the planning).

I believe phase one is the construction of the port to an operational state. The thought is that the hoteliers will follow the lead of the Federal government who is showing a vested interest in this project.

mexicoruss said:

I believe phase one is the construction of the port to an operational state. The thought is that the hoteliers will follow the lead of the Federal government who is showing a vested interest in this project.

If hotels are in the works, then a developer should look into purchasing one of the unfinished condos and convert it.

On a side note... Wasn't there word that the government had an interest in Las Palomas? Couldn't finishing phase 3 as a hotel/vacation rental be wrapped into this? Kill two birds w/ one stone?

. Hope all this new construction does not hurt my view from my penthouse at the Acropolis
http://rockypointexposed.blogspot.com/2008/01/rockypointexposedcom.html
Also lets remember the past as we look to the future...Are the Martinez brothers playing a part in this endeavor?

jerry said:

. Hope all this new construction does not hurt my view from my penthouse at the Acropolis
http://rockypointexposed.blogspot.com/2008/01/rockypointexposedcom.html
Also lets remember the past as we look to the future...Are the Martinez brothers playing a part in this endeavor?

OMG. That's the first time I'd ever seen that video. If I were that guy I'd be ashamed. Who is he? The building in the background is the Sandy Beach Urgent Care Center, correct? Also, the "Mykonos" tower would have been built directly behind the clubhouse of Las Palmas. That's the only view of the water that would have been possible, unless you had a condo in the Mykonos tower above the 9th floor or so, to clear the top of the Las Palmas buildings. The whole video was embarrassing - you take people up on what's basically scaffolding and ask them to put money down?

You either sign the contract or jump. Your choice. Makes for a nice urgent care.

It was an amazing event. We are very excited for Rocky Point/ Puerto Penasco and the State of Sonora..
Great things to come.. Will post pick later.. Or you can connect with me on facebook maria alemany

the acropolis had some priceless quotes "you have a 360 degree view". I have to laugh at this one, of course you are going to have a 360 view of something (a wall, land, etc). A bedroom has a 360 degree view of something.
"it seems sturdy" as the couple goes up the "tower". hahaha.
So many purchased on borrowed debt back then. Sad. I just hope that this cruise port truly benefits the local economy.

dry heat said:

the acropolis had some priceless quotes "you have a 360 degree view". I have to laugh at this one, of course you are going to have a 360 view of something (a wall, land, etc). A bedroom has a 360 degree view of something.
"it seems sturdy" as the couple goes up the "tower". hahaha.
So many purchased on borrowed debt back then. Sad. I just hope that this cruise port truly benefits the local economy.

Of course it will benefit the local economy. people will come in a day or 2 before the cruise, stay somewhere, eat somewhere, shop somewhere and buy gas to go home. maybe stay a day or 2 after....not to mention all the food and fuel that has to go on a cruise ship.

I was under the impression that in the Mexican culture the WORKERS come from other parts of Mexico. When the condos were being built I was under the impression that a lot of the WORKERS came from Chiapas and southern Mexico. Can anyone verify this? This is one of the main arguments against the so called, "... it's good for the people of Penasco..." rhetoric. Just like the airport and the condos would help the citizens of RP right?! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Yea, if you're lucky enough to work at Wrecked at the Reef or Boo Bar, somewhere decent where Americans actually TIP. That's a handful of jobs maybe. What about the 200 employees that got LET GO from Las Palomas about 3 winters ago now? They definitely benefited from the condos.... SMH.

Like Crowbar1, perfect example of blind optimism. Thinking that people are going to stay potentially 4 extra nights on top of the cruise they just took for 7 days. Furthermore, ESPECIALLY if this is the target market of DOMESTIC TOURISM, it's hard for me to believe that the TARGET MARKET has the discretionary spending to be able to afford 1-4 extra nights on top of the money spent on air fair and or driving fair and price of the cruise. It just seems like a stretch. Especially given the fact of DOMESTIC TOURISM TRENDS in RP. We know from Semana Santa that the DOMESTIC TOURISM doesn't use the bars, restaurants and shops.

I guess it must be nice to be an IDEALIST because we sure have quite a few of them on this forum. Unfortunately for me, I'm a REALIST, you know, someone grounded in reality.

Mexico Joe said:

I was under the impression that in the Mexican culture the WORKERS come from other parts of Mexico. When the condos were being built I was under the impression that a lot of the WORKERS came from Chiapas and southern Mexico. Can anyone verify this? This is one of the main arguments against the so called, "... it's good for the people of Penasco..." rhetoric. Just like the airport and the condos would help the citizens of RP right?! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Yea, if you're lucky enough to work at Wrecked at the Reef or Boo Bar, somewhere decent where Americans actually TIP. That's a handful of jobs maybe. What about the 200 employees that got LET GO from Las Palomas about 3 winters ago now? They definitely benefited from the condos.... SMH.

Like Crowbar1, perfect example of blind optimism. Thinking that people are going to stay potentially 4 extra nights on top of the cruise they just took for 7 days. Furthermore, ESPECIALLY if this is the target market of DOMESTIC TOURISM, it's hard for me to believe that the TARGET MARKET has the discretionary spending to be able to afford 1-4 extra nights on top of the money spent on air fair and or driving fair and price of the cruise. It just seems like a stretch. Especially given the fact of DOMESTIC TOURISM TRENDS in RP. We know from Semana Santa that the DOMESTIC TOURISM doesn't use the bars, restaurants and shops.

I guess it must be nice to be an IDEALIST because we sure have quite a few of them on this forum. Unfortunately for me, I'm a REALIST, you know, someone grounded in reality.

I didn't mean 4 nights altogether, I meant maybe 1 or 2 before, or, maybe 1 or 2 days after. BTW, who do you think is driving all those dump trucks full of rocks to help build the pier? Its all locals, anyone with a dump truck ready to work was given a contract, or so I was told. more restaurants and clubs will come to make money off the travelers, locals will surely take up those ranks. who do you think got jobs in the walmart and sams club and autozone when they came, surely l0cals. of course it will attract job seekers from other areas, that will always happen, but the peeps who come to RP for the first time and try the cruise may just want to buy a place, or come back in their RV many more times, gaining more $$ into the local economy.

after going to RP for more than 20 plus years between me and my better half, we were finally able to buy a place last year. but, we decided that we didn't want to be near sandy beach because if and when the cruises happen, it will probably be a zoo around there the day of the cruise and the termination of the cruise. On the other side of town the beach is way better anyway and that's what we like, the beach.

It would be great if the workers in RP could be part of all this. Did you see the line a few years ago of everyone lined up looking for a construction job at the Walmart and then Sam's? They brought there own people in to do it.
Sad IMO.

"after going to RP for more than 20 plus years between me and my better half, we were finally able to buy a place last year. but, we decided that we didn't want to be near sandy beach because if and when the cruises happen, it will probably be a zoo around there the day of the cruise and the termination of the cruise. On the other side of town the beach is way better anyway and that's what we like, the beach."
Crowbar1, 27 minutes agoReport
This is the thing that kills me about the yankee cheerleading for the Port.Deep down everone knows it is bad for the environment,will be a strain on the towns roads and utilities and make the condo experience probematic but hey full speed ahead.
Good thinking living elsewhere.....living by that homeport will be hellish if it gets off the ground.Plus if a big hotel is built the condos will go unrented.
Joe the construction jobs for the highly skilled and the lowest laborers went to out of towners.The locals are from fishermen stock.They can't be treated like dogs by some Chickenshat boss from elsewhere that is used to and expects Mexican workers to kiss his boots.Because of this they were viewed with suspension and derided by the real estate shat heads.They also would not agree to under the table employment contracts that kept them from getting severance when the job ends.These over the top payments are a problem in some ways and caused a lot of the hiring abuses.

I took this picture of part of the dozens employed as part of the safety crew, these are all locals and they told me that they are glad to have this job and yes they are being paid. Don't they look forlorn and abused? They are proud to be a part of this project because of what it means for them right now.

Just answered Joes question about hiring in thee last boom..glad these guys are getting work...wish they would be building basic infrastructure projects and housing stock for the people of Penasco.
Are they employed by a company,the state or under the table?

They are paid by the general contractor of the project as part of the project from what they told me. The GC was at the meeting the other day and spoke for a few minutes even though he was not on the platform with the State dignitaries. It was a proper meeting not just a bunch of handshakes and back patting, these guys (State and Federal Managers) show unity and pride in this project.

mexicoruss said:

They are paid by the general contractor of the project as part of the project from what they told me. The GC was at the meeting the other day and spoke for a few minutes even though he was not on the platform with the State dignitaries. It was a proper meeting not just a bunch of handshakes and back patting, these guys (State and Federal Managers) show unity and pride in this project.

That is good news..thanks Russ. As for the crap shoot as a whole: http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2013/11/articles/caribbean-islands/new-cruise-terminals-piers-a-risky-business/. My hope is they do not land the big ships but land the pocket cruise ships...Belize just denied a homeport for the south and it's experts wrote this:
"Pocket cruise tourism is the only acceptable form of cruise tourism on the south eastern coast of Belize". The report went on to define "pocket" cruise ships as those with less than 250 passengers. NCL's ships now coming to Belize carry over 2,000 passengers and those of other lines that are likely to be using this new port facility are even larger.

mexicoruss said:

They are paid by the general contractor of the project as part of the project from what they told me. The GC was at the meeting the other day and spoke for a few minutes even though he was not on the platform with the State dignitaries. It was a proper meeting not just a bunch of handshakes and back patting, these guys (State and Federal Managers) show unity and pride in this project.

Russ, by GC are you talking about Bermello Ajamil y Partners? Or is it another company?

Miami-based Bermello Ajamil & Partners created the master plan for a facility, which is being called a major milestone since very few ports are built from scratch anywhere in the world.

Puerto Peñasco potentially opens an itinerary that doesn't currently exist, and Mexico is building it purely with their own funds, according to B&A principal Luis Ajamil.

The facility will begin with a single, 400-meter berth and a terminal, with the potential to expand to two or three berths—though that is optimistic, Ajamil said. The terminal will be integrated into a developing touristic area.

For or against it it really is a big deal....how this came about must be a great story

So is Bermello Ajamil the GC? They call them a consortium.

This Mega Project is going to run 24 hours a day, How far out is it going out? Nothing but the best for the homeport!

1/2 mile South and 1/4 mile West. Or visa versa

What with the street work on Ocana and Benito Juarez plus the Home port stuff, every Dumpe in Penasco should be haulin. I've seen a couple of rigs that looked like they were dragged from the wrecking yard and revived !!

Roberto said:

What with the street work on Ocana and Benito Juarez plus the Home port stuff, every Dumpe in Penasco should be haulin. I've seen a couple of rigs that looked like they were dragged from the wrecking yard and revived !!

I quit throwing stuff away totally too, you never know when you may need it.......

Roberto said:

What with the street work on Ocana and Benito Juarez plus the Home port stuff, every Dumpe in Penasco should be haulin. I've seen a couple of rigs that looked like they were dragged from the wrecking yard and revived !!

That's a scary thought. Brakes?? We don't need no stinkin brakes!!!

jerry said:

That is good news..thanks Russ. As for the crap shoot as a whole: http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2013/11/articles/caribbean-islands/new-cruise-terminals-piers-a-risky-business/. My hope is they do not land the big ships but land the pocket cruise ships...Belize just denied a homeport for the south and it's experts wrote this:
"Pocket cruise tourism is the only acceptable form of cruise tourism on the south eastern coast of Belize". The report went on to define "pocket" cruise ships as those with less than 250 passengers. NCL's ships now coming to Belize carry over 2,000 passengers and those of other lines that are likely to be using this new port facility are even larger.

We were on a cruise last march that had Belize as one of the stops. Its my impression that the water is too shallow for too long of a way to actually make cruise ships docks at the town. when we were taking the tender to shore (about 5 miles away) you could count about 6 ships there with us. You could see how shallow it was. I guessing its too big of a job to dredge out a channel that far, but its through that barrier reef of theirs and probably another reason why they wouldn't dredge there. I think our cruise ship drafted about 36 feet.
My guess is they will use smaller ships in RP also, I would guess ones that could carry at least 1000 guests, but thats just my guess. I've heard there were 4 lines that agreed to run here. I'm game and would love to try it.

Crowbar1 said:

I've heard there were 4 lines that agreed to run here. I'm game and would love to try it.

This is (shocking) news to me... Where did you hear or read this?

Was checking the home port progress out tonight after dark from apx 1 mile away while on the beach at roughly high tide. There was apx 20 big trucks & tractors etc w/ their lights on still working after dark and the pier looked really awesome kind of like a long bridge w/ lights like you would see in Florida.

Its apx 200 yards long now, it looks like they have stepped up the work on it. Tried to snap a pic but w/ no zoom lens & being dark the pic didn't come out.

I was in RP this weekend and saw the trucks hauling 6:30AM-7PM even on Sunday.
I am really hoping that the ships will be the less than 1500-2000 passenger variety.
The 250-1000 capacity would be even better, now that the port is becoming real.