Demolition Begins for Colón's Historic Center Rehabilitation Project

The Ministry of Culture, through the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DNPC) and the Office of the Historic Center of the City of Colón (Ochcco), announced the start of the demolition phase corresponding to the rehabilitation project of the properties located on plots 2480 and 2580, on Central Avenue in the city of Colón. It is estimated that once rehabilitated, this building will contribute to the economic reactivation of the area by generating jobs, dynamizing commercial activity, and dignifying the urban environment of the historic center of Colón. There are more than 200 buildings in the city of Colón that need to be evaluated, with some entering the rehabilitation process and others the demolition process, as they pose a danger to pedestrians. This property, which initially proposed facade restoration and interior adaptation, was re-evaluated after it was confirmed that the facade was not structurally viable. The people of Colón are calling for investment in the Atlantic city, requesting that owners of vacant lots keep them clean and others with buildings in poor condition to repair them to improve the city's aesthetics, amidst actions to attract tourism to the region. This allowed for the development and approval of a new scheme that includes the faithful reconstruction of the facade according to the authorized plans. For the Office of the Historic Center of the City of Colón, this milestone represents an example of how a draft project fulfills all established stages and moves to the physical intervention phase, in the responsible conservation of heritage and in the bet on the urban revitalization of the historic center. Based on these studies, the DNPC authorized the demolition and subsequent reconstruction in accordance with the approved plans for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the property. This procedure contemplates the technical demolition of two facades and has all the approvals and permits required by current regulations, supported by reports from qualified professionals certifying that the facades are not recoverable.