Access to Chapala’s central plaza was cordoned off with chicken wire covered in black plastic as work on a major renovation project got underway early Wednesday, December 12.
The temporary closure is provoking some inconveniences for pedestrians and motorists. More than a dozen vendors who ordinarily hawk goods from portable stands set up around the plaza have been relocated to a parking zone along a one-block stretch of Avenida Madero between Calles López Cotilla and Degollado, eliminating spaces for parked cars and delivery trucks and increasing congestion for pedestrians strolling on the sidewalk.
Motorists traveling along Calle López Cotilla will have to detour right or left a block or more ahead of the plaza to avoid close-down of the western most block of the street which is being incorporated in the makeover.
Pedestrians heading into the municipal market have to circumvent the plaza to get to the main entrance via either end of the adjacent arched portales passageway running along the north-south parallel, or alternately, trot around to the back door on Calle Juárez.
The project entails replacing the plaza’s entire flooring with a cement estampo (cement surface embossed with geometric designs) in various colors. The same surfacing will be extended across Lopez Cotilla, raised to the same level. The overall concept is to convert the north side of the square into a flat esplanade to function as a massive open space for public events.
Work crews started out with the tedious process of wielding picks and sledge hammers to remove and haul out the heavy stone pavers covering the plaza’s surface. Three triangular cement planters situated north of the bandstand kiosk are also being demolished as the labors progress.
Except for several mature palms, existing garden areas will disappear, to be replaced with lines of trees and planters set along the outer boundaries. The kiosk and green areas over on the opposite side of the square will be left intact.
According to officials at the city’s Urban Development Department, the renewal project involves an investment of just over three million pesos authorized and paid for through Jalisco’s Regional Development Fund (Fondereg). The projected finish is December 31, with a possible overrun into early January.