Search results matching tags 'Family Life' and 'Development '

A Sneak Peak at the New Teatro de Playa del Carmen

435836 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Last week, I was invited to tag along with a group from Explayarte to check out the new Teatro de la Ciudad (the theatre of the city) being built in the Ejido, next to the big Walmart on the Arco Vial. This one of several ambitious municipal projects being completed by the Municipal Government of Solidaridad. The invite came to us as a part of a new social program, also initiated by the current administration, called "Compartimos Logros" which roughly translated means Sharing Our Successes. That is exactly what the Municipal President and his cabinet are attempting to do, actually show the residents of Solidaridad where their tax dollars are going.

So, bright and early Saturday morning, we were transported by van to the work site, to see for ourselves how the project was coming along and what we could expect from this exciting new performance space. We arrived onsite and were all given stylish hard hats to wear and given a brief overview of the many plans the sitting Municipal President has for the area and the efforts the administration is making to improve the lives of their constituents. Our hosts for the day were representatives from the "Compartimos Logros" program and several engineers working on the theatre and project leaders from the Municipality.

Shane and Martina rockin' the hard hats!

Getting an overview of the master plan and the scale model

Going over the specs and plans, our group had a lot of questions about the space and the systems it would contain particularly in regard to accommodations for live bands and orchestras. While the dance schools in the area use recorded music for their recitals and shows, Explayarte exclusively uses a live orchestra to accompany their productions so having a dedicated space for the musicians and the conductor is a high priority. The current design does not include an orchestra pit but after our concerns were heard, the engineer assured us that they would address the issue and had some ideas about how to adjust the seating space just in front of the proscenium to make it suitable for that use. It was nice to see everyone so engaged and excited about the project, not only our merry crew but the engineers as well!

Sergio Tolosa explains the projected timeline for this ambitious project and the types of events the city is hoping to attract to Playa del Carmen.

Inside the theatre in what will be the lower level seating area. The theatre holds 780.....minus whatever seats need to be removed to allow for the orchestra of course. ;)

The project leaders had hoped to have the theatre completed by June but at this point, due to unusual winter weather delays, it looks more like September. Explayarte, Coppelias, On Stage and all the other dance and performing arts schools in the region are all looking forward to having this modern, fully equipped performance space to use for their productions next winter. Certainly, the stage and backstage spaces, the lighting, sound and fly systems will give us all a lot more flexibility when it comes to the scope of the productions we all can design and launch. Its location, right off of the public transportation lines will make it accessible for Playa residents from all over the city.

The structure that will house the fly system and catwalks

Explayarte and the Municipal Government of Solidaridad: Partners in supporting the arts in Playa del Carmen

Included in the new public works projects are this new 780 seat state of the art theatre, a new building to house the Municipal offices and the Portada Maya which is the dramatic new sculpture erected in the Parque los Fundadores by the Cozumel ferry dock. Recently completed is a brand new community center in the colosio with, among other things, a covered basketball court, a fully equipped and staffed recording studio and classrooms for continuing education. There will be different classes offered for the community such as food and beverage preparation and management, sewing and clothing design and much more.

It really does appear as if this administration is doing its very best to improve the lives of the citizens it serves. Even those with a skeptical view of the workings of government can't help but agree that the Municipality of Solidaridad is leading the way toward a more transparent system in which the constituents are welcomed and encouraged to make suggestions and participate. It makes me feel very hopeful for the future of Playa del Carmen.

I moved to Mexico with my family in 2004 with the hope of offering our children a more global education and world view. Since then, we have traveled through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, gathering friends and life experiences and learning a lot about ourselves along the way. When we are not out and about exploring, Rob and I own and operate BuyPlaya, a Playa del Carmen real estate company and FurnitureMex. "Life's a Beach" is a catch-all blog where you may find anything from restaurant reviews, to recipes, gardening tips, commentary about expat daily life, local events, information about moving to Mexico and educating children in Playa del Carmen. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Blog Action Day - A Real Estate Throwdown on Ambergris Caye!!!

435836 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:00:00 GMT

After thinking long and hard about poverty, the subject of Blog Action Day 2008, I find myself with more questions than answers. First and foremost is "What IS poverty?" and secondly "Who makes that determination?” Can we categorize poverty solely in economic terms? It certainly seems that our American politicians, on both sides of the fence, liberally pander to our populace living in so-called poverty in their efforts to curry favor and win votes. It would seem that they would certainly have a vested interest in where and how that poverty threshold is set. Currently, in the United States, anyone under the age of 65 with an income under $10,787.00 is said to be living below the poverty line. A family of four must have a combined income of under $21,027.00 to claim the title. These numbers are adjusted annually for inflation and in short determined by finding the total cost for the essentials a human needs to live a "tolerable life". As every country in the world has their own unique standard of living. Each has their own poverty line, their own pandering politicians and their own methods to determine where that line is drawn. But is this really how the rest of us should look at poverty? Is economics the only factor to be considered? Does total household income tell the whole story? Surely, there are other factors to be considered if we, the people, are to play a part in combating the causes and effects of poverty.

As a member if the real estate and development industry I often feel conflicted about our connection with poverty. In that, I mean that I clearly see that although growth and development brings jobs and money spending consumers to a region, these geographic areas of are rarely those where help is most needed. Beach towns that become hot-spots for tourism can rarely support the explosive growth that comes with the interest of foreign investment. People flock to these coastal areas from all over Mexico to fill the hundreds of thousands of jobs created by the mega resorts and condominium developers. So far, along the Riviera Maya, it seems that our "demand" for laborers is keeping pace with the "supply" of migrant workers. There is little or no unemployment here. The working class may appear poor by our American standards but they are keeping roofs over their heads, clean clothes on their backs and food on the table. They enjoy the conveniences of a stable source of water, proper sewage and garbage removal, safe public schools to educate their children and police protection; the essentials one needs to live a "tolerable life".

However, this is not the case everywhere. Sometimes, the outside perception of a region's growth is askew. Sometimes, due to economic shifts and even normal market fluctuation, investment in seemingly popular areas tapers off. What happens when the "supply" of workers far exceeds the "demand"? Such is the case on Ambergris Caye, a small island off the coast of Belize. With its currency tied 2 to 1 to the American dollar, Belize feels every bit of the economic crisis in the United States. With much of the island's investment money coming from the US, it doesn't take an analyst to figure out what the market conditions have done to the rates of development and building on Ambergris. Ambergris is still growing, just not fast enough to keep up with the migration of hopeful souls who travel from the interior of Belize, Guatemala and even Mexico in search of a better life. They arrive, often having spent their last penny, only to find that the “Promised Land” is not exactly what they expected. Jobs are hard to come by, housing costs are astronomical and there is insufficient infrastructure in place to support all these families. In a half hearted effort to accommodate the working and non-working poor on Ambergris, an area on the island, just north of the tourist “Mecca” San Pedro, was "given" to these families on which to build their homes. In all fairness, they were told in no uncertain terms that no services would be provided to this "neighborhood". No water, no sewer, no garbage collection...nothing. They simply were being provided with a place to build shelter and live. Nothing more.

And so it is. Years later San Mateo is exactly as you would expect: a filthy, unsanitary blot on an island that demands and collects top dollars from tourists from all over the globe. Sandwiched between the desirable town of San Pedro and upscale villas and condominium complexes to the north, one can only wonder how long the residents will be "allowed" to inhabit this area. Already it seems, the powers that be are conspiring against the residents of San Mateo. Efforts to bring in clean fill to combat the almost constant flooding in the area have been blocked. Rumor has it that certain developers have lined the pockets of local politicians and service providers, thwarting the attempts of caring, local citizens to clean up San Mateo and create safe and sanitary living conditions for these families. The recent death of a young child, presumably due to the festering, disease infested water around her home sounded an alarm and elicited a public out-cry for governmental help and funds to ameliorate the deplorable conditions in this neighborhood. Months later, nothing has been done and everyone seems to have slipped back into complacency. Still, there is no source of clean water, so sewer system, no garbage removal service; nothing to sustain a "tolerable life". The wheels of change move slowly on this island.

The following pictures can tell the story better than my words. I took these photographs a few months ago while visiting the Holy Cross Anglican School. My friend Laurie chastened me a bit as I was framing up my shots, reminding me that the families of San Pedro were poor but not without pride. She asked me to consider that they might be embarrassed to have their living conditions plastered on the world wide web for all to see and, presumably, judge. So, until now, I have refrained from doing so. I do think, however, that this is an appropriate format and so I post them, not to exploit but with repect, to hopefully raise awareness. I have a strong suspicion that a vast majority of the visitors to Ambergris never venture outside of San Pedro and have never met their northern neighbors in San Mateo. I'm going to change that today. THIS IS MY BLOG ACTION.

I admittedly, do not know the whole story. I know that there are behind the scenes details and history that I am not privy too. I may not "have all my facts straight". Here is what I CAN say without a shadow of a doubt. PEOPLE LIKE TO FEEL WARM AND FUZZY ABOUT THIER INVESTMENT CHOICES. What do I mean by this you might ask? I'll make it simple. John and Jane America visit San Pedro and fall in love with the island lifestyle. They dream of owning their own little piece of paradise and begin the process of investigating real estate options on the island. While doing their homework on the internet, as almost everyone does in this day and age, they find many websites, articles and BLOGS about life and real estate on Ambergris Caye. Some of these articles will belabor the evils that seem to plague to our industry: disregard for the environment, suspect business practices etc... Others will talk about certain concerned citizens who have given back to the island they love; investors, builders, developers who have made a difference in the lives of the residents of Ambergris Caye. Who do you think John and Jane America are going to buy from? The philanthropic developer who donates his time and money to make life better for his less fortunate neighbors or the guy who gives gold watches to the owners of the island's service providers in order to buy their loyalty and restrict their operations.

And so, investors and developers on Ambergris Caye I throw out down the gauntlet. This is a Real Estate Throwdown! Use your influence; use your contacts, your resources and your money to fix San Mateo. I'm in the business. I KNOW how much money you're making. Answer my challenge I will do everything in my power to make sure that I use every weapon in my online arsenal to make sure your efforts are recognized and publicized. Use your powers for good and I will do the same. We bloggers have the World Wide Web in our pocket. Laurie, Collette, Cindy, Sharon...they've all got my back on this issue and we are a powerful pack of women with a remarkable web presence!! What do you want our web to say about you?

Casa Kinnon - Good News and Bad News

435836 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:02:00 GMT

Good news - The plans and drawing for the house are moving along splendidly and we are really pleased with our architect. He has strong opinions but is still open to our crazy ideas and doesn't mind sketching and re-sketching as we go along. We still have issues with lack of storage space. Three kids with countless bikes, boogie boards and boat motors take up an awful lot of space that we, as yet, have not accounted for in these plans. Much to my dismay and my husband's amusement, Carlos has taken to calling the house "Casa Cacahuate". Cacahuate means peanut in Spanish and, of course, refers to the shape of the unusual opening that allows us to look down to the living area from the second floor of the house. I really hope that name doesn't stick. Although cacahuate (along with ciclopista) is one of my very favorite Spanish words, I was hoping to name our house something a bit more dignified, something more significant than "Casa Peanut"!

Carlos had a full topographical study done of the land and with that information he was able to come up with the first set of rough autoCAD drawings.

More good news - Once the house plans were put into the computer, Carlos was able to scale down the house to a more reasonable but still cavernous 5000 sqft. It's still about 30% bigger than we originally wanted to be but that does include a spacious office as well. I'm still hoping we can trim off another 1000 sqft. somewhere along the way.

The first set of autoCAD plans was considerably more angular than the sketches that we had been working on. Some of this is a natural function of the computer program. Some of the discrepancy has to do with the translation of the CAD engineer and her perceptions of what she thinks Carlos wants. After a bit of tweaking, our second set of computer aided drawings looks like this. Can you see the changes?

Now, the bad news. We lost our lot. While our initial interaction with the real estate company representing this parcel had been pleasant enough, as soon as we showed real interest in the property and started asking "buying questions" the agent demanded that we pay $2000 usd before she would even consider talking about the title or begin any price negotiations with the seller. I'm not talking about putting $2000 into escrow to hold the property off of the market until contract and titles can be reviewed. They wanted us to PAY them $2000 to sell us the land. I guess I was mistaken when I thought that all the shady "old school" real estate practices had been eliminated. Incredulous and pissed off, we handed the negotiations over to one of our attorneys who quickly pointed out the error of their ways. Feeling vindicated and righteous, we proceeded along with our design plans and waited to hear back from the seller's agent about the status of the title. After hearing nothing, our attorney placed another call in to the agency and was informed that the lot had been sold. Lovely. Another local agent did some quick recon for us and confirmed that the alleged sale was real and the property was indeed gone. Should we have played "the suckers" and just coughed up the $2000? Would we be any further along than we are now or would we be out a few thousand and still not have our land. Who knows. Back to square one.

Carlos, god bless him, didn't fire us as clients when he found out about the land. Instead, keeping on track, he fired off another set of sketches for our review. The set up of the master bedroom suite has been giving us all fits but it is too important to get "wrong".

And so we move on. The newest good news is that we have already identified another available lot in the same neighborhood. Stay tuned for the next installment.