Mexico Denies Cancún Restaurant Permit Over Mangrove Damage

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) has denied the environmental impact permit for the “Laguna Prime” restaurant project in Cancún’s hotel zone, ruling that the construction would cause serious damage to mangroves and the Nichupté lagoon ecosystem.

The project, promoted by the company Capital de Restaurantes, called for a 12.4-meter-high building with a basement and two levels covering 2,168.34 square meters at kilometer 14+387 of Bulevar Kukulcán, in the municipality of Benito Juárez.

During the environmental review, which began in July 2024 when the company filed its environmental impact statement, authorities found serious inconsistencies in the file. Although the developer said the work would take place on a concession area within the federal coastal zone (Zofemat), cartographic analyses confirmed that a significant part was planned directly over the waters of the Nichupté lagoon, supported by 21 concrete piles.

Metal structures are already in place on the site, having been installed before the ruling. Employees at nearby businesses said the work had been previously shut down and expressed concern that the oxidizing steel columns are attracting crocodiles and disturbing local wildlife.

The environmental group Grupo Ecologista del Mayab (GEMA) has repeatedly warned about the impact of such construction on natural water flow and mangrove preservation.

To reach its negative ruling, Semarnat sought technical opinions from agencies at all three levels of government, including the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio), the federal forestry and coastal zone directorates, Quintana Roo’s Ecology and Environment Secretariat, and the Benito Juárez city council.

The resolution cited confirmed presence of protected vegetation on the property, including red mangrove, button mangrove, chit palm, sea grape, ceiba, chechen and barbasco. Officials concluded that, contrary to the company’s claim that it would preserve garden areas, the construction process would cause the direct and irreversible destruction of mangrove vegetation and the lagoon bed.