Protesting the new pier

[james]

Last night I heard that the Coco Beach hotel project (Reef Club) was cancelled. I know some of the Reef Club people so I'll try to get the poop on that.

At the end of the day, Playa constitutes a developed area. What we do to it are mostly cosmetic changes. What really needs protection are the wildlife sanctuaries, turtle breeding grounds, wetlands, etc....

I hope everyone doesn't get too upset when they learn about the Hard Rock Cafe and Carlos n Charlies going into the new complex near the existing ferry pier....

I don't think they are any more Playa style than Aquaworld. If TGI Fridays is any indication of the success to be expected from the corporate boys here, I don't think there is too much to worry about if you don't like that sort of thing.

[lundah]

I stopped by and saw Chencho's protest site. He has a petition for any residents and visitors to sign, I'm assuming he's taking that to the local government and Aqua World to stop construction. PLEASE make sure to stop by and sign it if you can, I was signature #2344 on Monday.

[Munichchick]

Thank you so much for the info! I am glad to hear that they are not building a Mega Resort there (yet). Yikes! Hard Rock and Carlos and Charlies. I guess we knew this would happen eventually. Does TGIF get a lot of business in Playa? I would think these places would not do well there but than again Cruise Ship tourists will go there and maybe for Europeans it is kind of fun to check out these American style establishments. You know there is a Hard Rock Cafe right across from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich. It is in the old historic part of town. That is just as out of place than in Playa but people do go there. Hmm?!????

[Becky]

I saw the Hard Rock and Carlos & Charlie's sign when we were there over the holidays. It made me sad. Not as much as the TGI Friday's, but still sad. :cry: I did think it was good that they are building it right by the ferry dock. I think the type of people that want to go there won't go much further into town than that point anyway. We can hope, right? :wink:

Although, I have to say, I like my Hard Rock t-shirts and sweatshirts. Although I am content to go to Cozumel once to get my t-shirt and get right back to Playa.

Becky

[mindz]

Where are they putting Hard Rock? What is it replacing--or is it a new building?

[Becky]

If you are getting off the ferry, and you follow the pier straight up onto the road, and follow that road straight ahead until it dead ends into 5th Avenue, it is right on that corner, on the left hand side. It's a huge building, and will contain a Hard Rock, Carlos & Charlie's, and several other large chains that I can't remember the name of. It's right on the border of Playacar, and it's huge.

Becky

[Munichchick]

That must be where the big parking lot that taxis used was. I guess if they have to built these places that is a good place for them and will not change the look and feel of Avenida 5th further north at all. The AI and Cruise Ship people can go straight there and leave the quaint part of town for the rest of us.

[petersmith]

the hotel at coco beach is for the moment allowed to build 200 rooms but the developer is trying to get permission to build 300. although this may seem alot for playa don't forget that some of the other all-inclusive hotels along the riviera maya have between 900-2'000 rooms or more (moon palace). I think that the hotel planner is also restricted by some sort of development by-laws (although unsure of how $$$ :roll: strict they are) never-the-less I don't think they will let him build a sky towering ugly monster. The area is any way all swamp-land, which just by looking at it I doubt there are even any species of animal living in there other than mosquitos.

[mindz]

The mangrove swamps and wetlands are what purify the water on its way to the ocean. Disrupt this balance and the coral will die and the fish will leave - not to mention the swimmers and snorkelers.

Anyone who remembers the first point before Porto Real hotel was built will say that this "small" hotel did not make Playa del Carmen more charming. The developers made it as big and obtrusive as they could get away with and installed sand bags to make their beach better.

Sorry, I don't like this kind of development in this particular spot. Sorry if I offended some local business owners who see it as potential income.

[Munichchick]

Mindz! Very well said. Mangroves are very important for the ocean environment. It acts like a nursery for fish and many water birds and reptiles live in the mangroves. Mangrove areas also release important nutriens into the ocean that keeps the reef alive. I would assume that developers would have to dry out and fill in the Mangrove area if they want to build a hotel there unless the hotel building is set further back and they create wooden walk ways across the Mangrove to get to the Beach like they do at several other large resorts along the coast. For example Iberostar Paraiso and Copacabana. Let's hope this hotel project will stay cancelled because Mangroves are super important for the reef, it's inhabitants and ocean cleanliness. It's not just a Mosquito infested Swamp!
If you want to experience and learn more about Mangrove lagoon areas take the Amigos de Sian Kaan tour. They take you with boats into the Sian Kaan Biosphere. You will see it is beautiful in it's own way and has so much animal and plant life to offer.

[petersmith]

Unfortunately there is not a whole lot that one can do to stop Playa's growth it is inevitable, what we can do is try to make sure that the growth proceeds with as much forethought to ecological concerns as possible. But in the face of big business sometimes it is easier to bend with the wind and find another way, than break in the process of struggling head on. I did a thesis on the development in Playa del Carmen in order to try to devine the path of development in the Riviera Maya area and after talking with most of the large all-inclusive hotel owners and managers I discovered that while it is thought to be the contrary they have established and do practice so-called "green operations". Of course one of the main reasons that they do so is that these operations, water-purification and treatment, material recycling, multiple forms of conservations, to name a few.... is that these practices are economically advantadgeous for the hotel itself especially hotels of that size, the 2cd biggest reason that these properties practice "greenwashing" is that there is an ever increasing demand by visitors for ecologically friendly sites and hotels. I can also add that todays tourist are alot more educated and aware of what exactly these practices entail, and are not fooled easily, the hotels know that. SO before becoming to discouraged, one must remember that there are also plenty of non-profit organizations at work in Playa del Carmen to protect the famous "great Mayan Barrier Reef" which is the (I think) 5th biggest in the world.

Although I have seen many magrove swamps in my time, but I still concure that the one at coco-beach is nothing but a "swamp" especially after years of large rave parties held on the same location, and where all the party-goers sewage (among other things) gets pumped directly or "in-directly" into same said swamp. The mosquitoes are debatable :wink: .

Perhaps it would be wise to start a new thread to discuss the Coco-beach matter further after all isn't this "protesting the new pier?"

[Peggy Sue]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to be sharing information about the proposed cruise ship pier at Xcaret, but ... the Los Angeles Times has a front-page article on the subject today. An excerpt:

"The battle is against Puerta Cancun-Xcaret, also known as Home Port, a joint venture between the theme park's owners and Carnival Cruise Lines, the biggest player in the luxury cruise industry that combined deploys half its global fleet to the Caribbean.

"Once in full operation by 2007, the pier and terminal would be a home port offering departures for cruise ships four times a week and day visits for more than two dozen others. That is expected to bring 800,000 more tourists a year to the already-bustling shores of Quintana Roo state, the eastern flank of the Yucatan Peninsula."

You should be able to read the entire article online by clicking on the link below:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-coral20jan20,0,5033897.story?coll=la%2Dhome%2Dhead lines

Let's hope this article helps focus more attention on -- and strengthens protest against -- the Home Port project, which endangers the environment and the local economy ....

[Munichchick]

Thank you for posting this link! We where reading the article yesterday as well and are very worried. This makes the Aqua World Pier and Hotel at Coco Beach look like nothing compared.

[sstars]

Is this pier the one being built right beside Gran porto Real?? Any idea on when it should be done?

We're staying at the Gran porto in late April, will we be surrounded by loud construction all day everyday?!

[Peggy Sue]

The L.A.Times came out with an official editorial on the subject of the Home Port project today, and it really nails both Carnival Cruise Lines and Xcaret. I'm not sure why the topic's so high on the Times' radar screen -- particularly when it's likely that Carnival is an advertiser -- but I hope others get the message and keep the pressure on!


http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-yucatan22jan22,0,6286918.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines %2Doped%2Dmanual