Ahead of his departure from Mexico on January 7, 2025, U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar this week “dedicated” the new U.S. embassy in Mexico City, even though the US$1.2 billion facility is not expected to be operational until late 2025.
Located in the Nuevo Polanco area of the capital, the new embassy is one of five major U.S. diplomatic projects in Mexico initiated in 2018, including the construction of four new consulates.
The push to complete these projects has been notable: the new Guadalajara consulate opened in June, Hermosillo in September, and Nogales in November. Most recently, on December 4, the final new consulate in Mérida opened to the public.
The seven-story Mexico City facility — reported to be the largest U.S. embassy in the world — has faced delays. Originally set to open in 2022, the building is being constructed on a former industrial site previously occupied by a Colgate-Palmolive factory, which required extensive environmental remediation.
Salazar described the new embassy as a symbol of the enduring relationship and shared future between the United States and Mexico. He also called the building “a tribute to the greatness of Mexico and its people.”
According to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), around 2,500 workers — including 1,800 local staff — have been involved in the embassy’s construction.
An OBO report notes that the embassy will consolidate over 530,000 square feet of diplomatic operations, bringing together more than 1,400 staff members who are currently spread across multiple sites in the city.
The new embassy will also include the Benjamin Franklin Center, offering flexible programming space for public engagement activities aimed at strengthening connections between the people of the United States and Mexico.