“Overnight, they made a deal with the municipal and state governments, and just like that, they started fencing everything off.”
That’s the impression the residents have of the movement that began in their neighborhood when they started demolishing the Hotel Misión de Los Ángeles to make way for Parque Oaxaca, a mega-project by the company Fibra Danhos, which, according to Governor Salomón Jara Cruz, will transform the state capital into a hub of development, investment, and well-being for the people of Oaxaca.
Not everyone seems to share this vision. In this area of the Reforma neighborhood, a group of at least 30 residents have begun demanding information about the project, since so far, almost four months after the demolition began, there has been no comprehensive and clear information. Although there was an initial meeting with the company, where the project was presented, not everyone was invited. Their testimonies were gathered to tell this story.
It all started with one of those community workdays that the state government calls a “tequio Bienestar” (community work day). They started digging holes in the ground to install new streetlights.
This was very strange for them, since for many years one of their main demands had been precisely that: streetlights and security.
“It was a struggle for years! And then one day they came with a project called Safe Pathways. They installed 15 lights, and now you can see a bunch of poles on the street. In other words, they installed lights where there’s already infrastructure.”
Another day, they decided to paint gates, the yellow stripe on the Netzahualcóyotl sidewalk, and the no-parking areas.
The company began fencing off the area with sheet metal, something that might seem normal in a construction project. But they didn’t just fence off their perimeter; they also fenced off the river and part of the pedestrian bridge. They even bought properties around the area.
In addition, they took about 80 centimeters or a meter of the pedestrian walkway. On the other side, they fenced off the Las Rosas private street, between Niños Héroes, Emiliano Zapata, and Porfirio Díaz avenues. This street ends at the hotel’s property line. Although the property doesn’t belong to the hotel, it is closed and presumably guarded by civilians.
They also removed the quarry stone benches, which are part of the historical heritage. They also fenced off a gate that leads to the river. At that point, the hotel had its garbage, which often overflowed into the river.
The residents have sought contacts to obtain information about the construction. Just last Thursday, February 19, they were called to a meeting (the first for this group) at the Government Palace, where Daniel Kabbaz Zaga, CEO and president of Fibra Danhos, was present.
Representatives from the municipality included Urban Development, Civil Protection, and the State Secretariat of Economic Development, as well as the Director in Charge of the Project.
At that meeting, they were informed that an agreement had been reached with Liverpool and that a three-level underground parking garage would be built.
The area is crossed by a stream, but that hasn’t been a problem for the company. According to residents, the (contaminated) stream will be piped underground, since the commercial complex plans to include an artificial river on its property.
Residents visited the hotel site. The company assures that the laurel trees and riverbanks will be respected. However, they believe there is still a lack of transparency, especially since, to this day, they have no information about the necessary studies for a project of this scale.
“We have been requesting the company’s insurance policy for damages to the neighbors, but so far the Project Manager has not provided it to us.”
The residents of this area are demanding clear access to the project’s architectural plans, the feasibility study for drinking water and drainage, the civil protection report, the environmental impact study, the Conagua permit (which states that they will construct two deep wells for water supply), the land use permit, and the INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History) consent because they are building next to, “if not appropriating,” they say, historical heritage and federal land.
Once they know the details of the project, they demand that parking be free so that people don’t park on the outskirts and that the spaces they have occupied for decades be used for their cars.
They also request that the loading and unloading area have appropriate hours so as not to interfere with the rest and well-being of those who live in the area.
Source: oaxaca.media
