Playa del Carmen Mayor: Community Center Project Will Proceed Despite Protest

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Mayor Estefanía Mercado said the federally backed “México Imparable” community center in the Palmas II subdivision will move forward, with a groundbreaking ceremony expected soon.

The announcement came hours after about 30 residents symbolically closed the green area where the project is to be built, arguing that the construction would destroy a “green lung” in the neighborhood. Residents also demanded that authorities stop the work and restore vegetation that has been cleared since last week.

Speaking to reporters, Mercado said the project had already received support when it was presented months ago. “We haven’t touched a single tree in Playa del Carmen,” she said. “There is a process of clearing and relocation. On the site where ‘México Imparable’ will be built, there is even a spectacular cenote that we will preserve.”

The mayor said the project will respect most of the green area and will only affect the zones designated for sports courts. She acknowledged the opposition but said her administration must listen to the majority. “We respect that in a democracy there are always voices in favor and voices against, but as a municipal government we have to listen to the majorities,” she said.

The community center will include covered soccer and basketball courts, a boxing gym, martial arts areas and athletic tracks, according to the federal government. It will also offer cultural and recreational activities such as music, dance and theater workshops, as well as classes in visual arts, reading and chess.

The federal government plans to build 50 such community centers across the country in the coming months as part of an effort to reduce violence and rebuild the social fabric.