Playa Del Carmen plans for renovating 5th Avenue and Park Fundadores
The Mayor of Playa Del Carmen has announced plans to renovate parts of 5th Avenue and Park Fundadores. These are two of the most iconic places in Playa Del Carmen. These locations attract thousands of tourists daily and has been the heartbeat of Playa for years. Even though these areas are not in that bad of shape, the renovation can help solve some problems like flooding water when we get heavy rain and more spaces for events. What do you think of these renderings?
The economic impact of such a project
Once of the reasons this renovation is being looked at is the economic recovery of the Playa Del Carmen. The Mayor, Laura Beristain Navarrete wants to modernize both 5th Avenue and Park Fundadores to present to the visitors this world-class destination.
The project has 117 million pesos allocated to it and is expected to create 250 direct and indirect jobs. This renovation project is expected to reactivate both the construction and economy of Playa after the current paralysis.
It is important to note that the area received 7.6 million tourists last year, which was double that of Baja California, Baja California sur, Jalisco and Mexico City combined.
What will be new for 5th Avenue?
The area of 5th Avenue from Park Fundadores to 14th Street will be worked on. New pavers will be laid and better drainage and adsorption of rainwater to prevent flooding. Led lighting will be added also. New furniture will be added and the entrances to the beach will be upgraded. Vegetation will be preserved and also added.
There will be removal of public phones not in use and commercial spaces that are imposing onto 5th Avenue. New signage and maps will be available for tourists. Well needed trash cans will be added, and bike racks will be installed.
What will be new for Park Fundadores?
The most iconic two things about Park Fundadores will be kept, the statue Portal Maya and the small white church. The boundaries of the park will be expanded and integrate the pier into the traffic flow. Consideration will be given to traffic flows also since there are many pedestrians that traverse this area as well as tricycle taxis going from the ADO bus station to the Cozumel Ferry Pier. Ramps will be integrated into the design so universal access is offered to all.
New seating will be added, and the main center of the park will be like an amphitheater overlooking the Caribbean Sea. This will continue Park Fundadores as a performance space.
The area along the beach will be redone to add a promenade. During the last restoration of the area this was done with wood planking that has since twisted and broke, creating a not so appealing beachfront area, so this renovation should make this a more attractive and safer place to enter the beach from Park Fundadores.
The time frame for renovating both 5th Avenue and Park Fundadores is 150 days. The first two months will see the completion of this work on 5th Avenue, so it has a minimal impact on businesses there. Playa Del Carmen is moving forward and looking forward to welcoming back tourists to a refreshed look.
What do you think if these plans? We would love to hear from you in the comments below.
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I’m thrilled! More shade on fifth is brilliant and the entertainment space did need a face lift. Doesn’t sound like any of it’s current charm will be lost in the process….Bravo Mayor Laura!
Rennovating is fine – commercializing it is NOT
Thanks for the great post guys. The street certainly needs paving and leveling. Love the idea of more trees and more lights. Improvement for foot traffic flow at the park and pier is great. But the overall design is too modern. Most of 5th already looks like the USA. It has lost its Mexican charm in the last few years. Wish they would make improvements but keep it Mexican style. This new park design could be in any city in the world. A mix of old and new can work. London, uk does it well. As do many European cities. But please allow us to know and feel we are in Mexico when we go down 5th Avenue.
Agreed! Mixing old with the convenience of the new will continue current and new tourists to visit. The charm of old Mexico is why I’m attracted to 5th Ave and Playa.
Understand upgrading is necessary, but this design is too modern. Sadly every year Playa seems to be losing more of it’s Mexican charm (what brought us there in the first place).
Love Playa, but please don’t Americanize it! Viva LA Mexico!!
I agree , too, with previous comments.We love the cultural, Mexican aspect of Playa del Carmen and wouldn’t like to see 5th avenue become too Americanized and commercial.
I love the way it looks now. Please don’t Americanize it more just renovate what is needed maybe street and some buildings . We love it how it is
Looking forward to seeing the new look. To bad they didn’t save the huge, beautiful, old tree that was torn out to make room for shopping. It provided a lot of shade.
Keep the “colorful Old Mexico look”. We agree that the streets need to be repaired to minimize the flooding issues. More lighting is needed. Keep the trees as much as possible, to provide shade for visitors. We
can’t wait to see the renovations.
Thanks for all of your current and up to date information. I am anxiously looking forward to the renovations on 5th and the park. I have enough faith in the current administration that it will be done right and with enough Mexican charm. We will see. The shade trees and sitting areas will be a long-overdue welcome.
Will you also remove all the drug dealers that are harassing tourists every 10 meters all along the 5th?
You say the timeframe for completion is 150 days, but starting when? What is the estimated completion date?
This project started around May 11th. The 5th Avenue portion is expected to be done in two months and then the remainder of the time finishing details to the Park Fundadores area.
I also understand that repairs and upgrading like lighting, flood protection and foot traffic flow are necessary. However, this design is too modern and lacks the charm of Mexico. The design as others have said could be in any city in the world.
I agree with the above comment about the drug dealers. It is sad how many people approach my husband and I. We also refer friends who say that say that was the only downside of their vacation. Please address this.
Hello Sylvia
We hear these comments often. We are not the city of Playa or tourism board, so it is not our place to address this. Part of the problem is the people that buy from them. If no one bought, there would be no one selling. We do however address this aspect. It is important for a tourists to know how their actions affect others. We try very hard to make good recommendations for visitors and support good local businesses. We will continue to do this to help Playa be a better place.
I think everything you are doing is great. I love Mexico, especially Playa del Carmen. I’m looking forward to another visit in 2021. We always stay in town. No resorts for us. I enjoy the charm of stepping out of our hotel into this beautiful city. See you soon!!!!
I loved 5th street when it was true Mexican style. Don’t like the mall and modern look it has. Upgrades to roads and lights is great but not to the authenticity of the street