Authorities give go-ahead to controversial Hard Rock Hotel in Cancun

CANCÚN — The Federal Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) finally gave the green light to the controversial hotel project Hard Rock Riviera Cancun with an investment of $225 million USD coming from Mexican banks and resources of the group of investors.

With a 1,800 rooms, it will be located at kilometer 17.5 Kukulcán Boulevard, and will be an example of sustainable development, as it will comply with the applicable environmental regulations, explained the hotel’s promoters.

Since the project was presented, various environmental groups such as Gema (Grupo Ecologista del Mayab) and the Mexican Environmental Law Center (Cemda) made clear their objections to the project, arguing that it presents several irregularities.

“Inmobiliaria KTRC” submitted this project on July 29,  2016, and on June 7, 2017 the resolution was issued by the Semarnat. It was presented under the title “Hotel 15-15”, looking to avoid being related to the Hard Rock brand.

Protestors pointed out that: “The hotel project is not compatible with municipal urban planning instruments, such as the Cancún hotel zone’s Master Plan, due to fact that they’re exceeding construction densities for a protected area known as “Nichupte Mangroves”, because it will be built in less than 100 meters from there”.

The property is belonged into a polygon of 885 hectares, whose Partial Plan was approved in September 2003 that establishes a maximum capacity of 1,511 houses or 3,777 rooms, with a maximum height of six levels.

These same specifications are regulated in the PDU, which implies that the developers only can build a maximum of 117 rooms.

In the same zone, there is another hotel project by RIU resorts which is suspended for an injunction filled by a law firm in Cancún.

Source: http://sipse.com/