During a public works unveiling ceremony this week, Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval reiterated, in the form of both a formal statement of solidarity and a statement enumerating monies so far invested, his and his administration’s dedication to improving the lot of Tonala, the oft-beleaguered and neglected municipality in the southeast Guadalajara metropolitan area (ZMG).
Aside from aesthetic improvements, a large portion of the fund’s intended target, according to Sandoval, has gone to the town’s flailing infrastructure, which he says too often has seen its needs passed over in favor of its wealthier neighbors, Guadalajara and Zapopan.
“Tonala couldn’t keep being the ZMG’s backyard, with funds always going elsewhere,” asserted Sandoval, who said the state has spent 1.2 billion pesos on its improvement under his watch, 222 million of which were outlaid this year.
Among the most publicized of the works these millions have been funneled towards are renovations to Avenida Tonala, currently underway, a project which has thus far received 74 million pesos. “Guardians of the Queen,” a sculpture which formed the centerpiece of the ceremony, is just one element of a program of public art set to grace the avenue’s 600-meter pedestrian walkway in the coming months.
The artworks will also be complemented by facelifts to the strip’s green landscaping, as well as the installation of vertical and horizontal signage.
In addition to Avenida Tonala, several more sculptures are destined for Calle Clavel, a pantheon of art which will end at the Nueva Central Camionera.
“We will keep working to the end to transform Tonala and its neighborhoods for the benefit of its families,” proclaimed Sandoval. “You deserve it.”