An abandoned swimming pool that has become a magnet for local gangs and drug addicts will be the first project in Guadalajara Mayor Enrique Alfaro’s new program to rehabilitate public spaces that have fallen into disuse (Programa para Recuperación de Espacios Públicos).
The pool in Colonia Santa Cecilia is set to be transformed into an open-air theater for showing movies, concerts and other cultural and sporting presentations. Part of the 2.4 million pesos required to fund the renovations is coming from a federal crime prevention initiative: Programa Nacional para la Prevención del Delito (Pronapred).
According to Guadalajara Police Chief Salvador Caro Cabrera, neighbors chose the open-air theater project from a number of options. The space is expected to be ready by the first week of December. Guadalajara city hall will release details of other projects in their rehabilitation program in the coming weeks, Caro said.