Playa del Carmen Revives Youth Center With $6M Investment

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — The Municipal Youth Institute, located in the Bellavista neighborhood of Playa del Carmen, will receive a six-million-peso investment for its rehabilitation as part of a new public works package approved for the first half of 2025.

Matilde Carrillo, the third councilwoman and president of the Commission for Youth Development, confirmed the funding, emphasizing that the facility is in deplorable condition and requires urgent renovation.

“It has been severely neglected, with issues like leaks and humidity. It’s not a dignified space for our youth,” Carrillo stated.

Expansion Plans and Temporary Measures

The councilwoman noted that this investment is only the first step, as plans are also underway to restore the Institute’s offices in the Colosio neighborhood, located behind the public library.

“We want to reactivate that space—it’s more accessible and closer to a highly populated area,” she added.

Due to the building’s poor state, activities have been temporarily relocated to neighborhoods and parks, where entrepreneurship workshops and initiatives like the Empréndete program continue to operate. The Institute is also negotiating agreements with other organizations, such as the Adult Education Institute, to expand educational opportunities for young people.

A Facility in Disrepair

The current building, inaugurated just two administrations ago with the presence of then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the participation of over a thousand youths, has suffered from a lack of maintenance, leading to structural deterioration.

Carrillo refrained from criticizing past administrations but stressed the current focus on rebuilding and delivering results.

“Director Félix is handling this matter. As the city council, we’re focused on moving forward, not on what wasn’t done before,” she said.

Commitment to Youth Development

Carrillo urged the public to monitor the Commission for Youth Development’s progress, stating, “We’re promoting training, employment, and tools to give young people more opportunities. We will keep moving ahead.”

The rehabilitation project aims to restore a vital space for youth engagement while expanding educational and entrepreneurial programs across the city.