By The Star Staff
Mountain bike enthusiasts expressed their concerns on Tuesday about a proposed development in Cabo Rojo that is blocking access to an area commonly used for cycling.
“Cabo Rojo is the capital of mountain biking, and during the weekends, thousands of cyclists come together to enjoy the trails in the area where the Esencia project is proposed. This has a significant economic impact on the local economy,” activist Guarionex Padilla Martí said in a Radio Isla report. “It is very worrying that these access points, which have served as pathways for cycling and hiking for many years, are being closed. The Esencia project has been promoted as one that guarantees access to the maritime-terrestrial zone and is environmentally friendly. However, this behavior indicates the opposite.”
The project, led by British investors Simon and David Reuben, requires an estimated investment of $2 billion for 2,000 acres of coastal land and is expected to generate more than 2,000 jobs during its operational phase. The luxury development is projected to be completed in seven to 10 years. Puerto Rican architectural firm Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón, whose partners Cristina Villalón and Ricardo Álvarez Díaz were notable contributors to Gov. Jenniffer González Colón’s recent campaign, has been hired for the project.
Environmental activists have voiced concerns over the development’s location near the maritime land zone in the Punta de Melones and Laguna Rincón sectors.
“We received an alert about a structure observed from the sea, and when we arrived, we found security guards monitoring the entrance of the site that is under construction. They were preventing access to cyclists and anyone else,” attorney Francisco Vargas said. “We have witnessed developers claim they would keep roads open and maintain access for cyclists, yet they currently lack a single permit and are restricting access to roads and areas frequently used by hikers and cyclists.”
Three Rules Capital, the developer of Esencia, and Ana G. Méndez University signed a collaborative agreement on Jan. 14 regarding the hospitality, tourism and culinary arts curriculum at the Cabo Rojo campus.
Padilla Martí noted that the municipality has conditionally endorsed the project due to concerns about access to beaches and drinking water usage.
“We already face issues with drinking water, especially on weekends when hundreds of thousands of people visit the Combate area,” he said. “Esencia is not just a hotel complex with tourist and residential features; it also includes a golf course in its plans, which would lead to additional consumption of water that we do not have.”
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