CANCUN — Construction plans have come to light for a hotel on a 4,287-square-meter lot in a protected area at the western tip of Holbox, promoted by Silver Emporium, S.A. Of C.V.
The $2.5 million USD “Punta Holbox Hotel” aims to be built in Punta Coco, supposedly between Mantarraya and Paseo Carey streets, although this area is full of gaps. The project would consist of five buildings of three floors each, and it would have a pool, walkways, a deck and other structures.
The project would be built in Yum Balam, a Biosphere Reserve since 1994 (Rendering: Noticaribe)
All this planned work of Silver Emporium, a company represented by Quintana Roo entrepreneur Edgar Esau Gutiérrez Sandoval, apparently would be done on virgin lands, within the Yum Balam Protected Natural Area, and it would mean ecological impacts, despite promises that it is a “sustainable” project, repeated frequently in the Manifestation of Environmental Impact delivered to the federal authority.
“According to the architectonic project, the structure of each building will be based on block and concrete walls; The main structure of each building will be supported by prefabricated concrete piles,” the statement said.
The size of the building marks the difference from other rustic lodging centers; with more than 50 rooms, the project aims to be part of a massive tourism growth at the island, with greater use of services such as water, electricity and garbage. The project also intends to build a desalination plant, as large projects in Cancun already do.
Although the area is supposed to be protected, Yum Balam lacks a successful management plan, even though decades have passed since it was enacted as such. This lack of protection allows various projects to be raised, with their approval being left to the discretion of the federal authorities.
Source: http://noticaribe.com.mx