Lucrative Land Next To Docks Is For Sale

Several scale models and plans are ready for the project
By Ivan Bravo Lopez Issue #454

Since 1990 Puerto Peñasco has seen increase in the value of its land. Specifically the land located in the best areas and tourism zones along the beach have increased in both worth and price. The greed for obtaining a chunk of land belongs to the highest bidder, whether national or foreign. Anybody can own a part of this valuable coastal jewel along the Sea of Cortez.

There are many parties involved in the projects, such as landlords, builders, investors, international companies and even some fishermen and founders of Puerto Peñasco. Scale models and other samples have already been visualized by people that dream to become owners of the right to the use of the land near the docks. It is just a street away from the docks - and large five-star luxurious hotels will have the best ocean views, slides, and elevators that take them right to the docks where the yachts and vessels of the millionaire residents of the hotel stand ready. Others dream and fight over the right to use the dock space, and there are others that plan a seafood market in that high-traffic tourist area.

Many lots near the docks in the area where the shrimp vessels unload have already been sold. Now they belong to a few landlords who are waiting to see who will pay the most for that millionaire's neighborhood. The construction of condominiums in that tourist hotspot is already a reality. Year after year thousands of fishermen have used that area to unload their sea products and to refuel, but times have changed, and the blueprints and projects thought out by many will soon become reality. In just a couple of years the economic impact of tourism will make the fishing industry here disappear. It once was the economic pillar of this port and it helped feed thousands of families in Puerto Peñasco.

Tomas Espinoza Sesma, Director of Municipal Fishing Affairs mentioned that he is paying close attention to the sale of rights to the docks and that he is not sure that there are people interested in that development. "We are watching the leasing of the docks very carefully. There are interested people from outside of the docks, in the street on this side, around Luis Encinas St. The Municipal government is also watching closely, to see if there are benefits to the fishermen and no one else," said the director of Fishing Affairs.

There are also the fishermen that have dedicated their lives to fishing. They mention that they have travelled to the capital to different dependencies of the federal government to obtain the valuable permits to operate in the docks area.

Alfonso Avilez Alatorre, President of the Fisherman's Group 'Youth Lost To The Sea' said that "In the trips that we made to the capital we have seen scale models of this area in the Department of Tourism Projects. We could see large hotels with elevators and everything. However, we want a commercial zone in which we fishermen are favored since we have spent our whole lives fishing, and we think we deserve it."

"To obtain a permit for the rights of use of the docks we need 36 thousand pesos (~ $3,360 USD). We are working very hard in this Association to gain favoritism," said Alfonso Avilez Alatorre. He also mentioned that "they are already cleaning up the lots; we don't think that they are doing that just to make them look nice, we believe they already have projects. Another issue is that there used to be a freezer on Benito Juarez Blvd, now this freezer has been destroyed and the lot is already for sale. In the talks that we had with Heriberto Renteria, he told us that he has had talks with Arabian investors interested in this area. They wish to build a luxurious hotel. We have to get ready; otherwise this part will be sold to investors as well."

Lastly, the fishermen pointed out that every one has a scale model of their dreams and tourism projects under their beds. The building of the condominiums will start shortly because the lots are already available and ready for sale.