Locals and visitors may soon be able to enjoy a coffee or drink while taking in the fine views from the top of the emblematic city arches (Arcos de Guadalajara) on Avenida Vallarta.
A proposal to rent out the space as a cafe concession will be discussed by the Guadalajara city council this Friday.
The room at the top of the arches, known as the Sala de Banderas, is in good condition but hardly ever used.
Other options include opening an art gallery in the space, or using it for intimate music recitals and talks.
Promoters of the project say the space will not be modified in any form to accommodate a new activity.
Based loosely on Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, Guadalajara’s arches were designed and built in 1942 by the architect Aurelio Aceves. At that time, nothing other than cornfields stretched north-west from the monument situated on the very edge of the city limits. The only other neighboring structures were the Observatorio Meteorológico (now the University of Guadalajara Meteorology and Astronomy Institute) and the original installations of the Guadalajara Country Club.
For many years, the Sala de Banderas housed the flags of all the nations on the American continent. It was subsequently used as an office by the city’s tourism department.