CANCÚN, Q. Roo — The Federal Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) finally gave the green light to the controversial hotel project Hard Rock Riviera Cancun with an investment of $225 million USD coming from Mexican banks and own resources of the group of investors.

“With a 1,800 rooms, and located at kilometer 17.5 on Kukulcán Boulevard, it will be a role model of sustainable development, as it will comply with all environmental regulations”, explained the hotel’s promoters.

Since its official announcment, several environmental groups such as Gema (Grupo Ecologista del Mayab) and the Mexican Environmental Law Center (Cemda) made clear their objections to the project, arguing that it presents irregularities.

“Inmobiliaria KTRC” submitted this project on July 29,  2016, and on June 7, 2017 the resolution was issued by the Semarnat. It was presented under the title “Hotel 15-15”, apparently trying to avoid being related to the Hard Rock brand.

(Sipse)

Protestors pointed out that: “The hotel project is not compatible with municipal urban planning instruments, such as the Cancún hotel zone’s Master Plan, due to fact that they’re exceeding construction densities for the protected area known as “Nichupte Mangroves” (Manglares de Nichupté), since the complex is being built less than 100 meters away from this natural reserve”.

The property in the shape a polygon has an extension of 885 hectares, and the Partial Plan approved back in September 2003, established a maximum capacity of 1,511 villas or 3,777 hotel rooms, with a maximum  of six floors.

These same specifications are regulated in the PDU, which implies that the developers only can build a maximum of 117 rooms. This would mean that the developers are going to build three hundred times more units than recommended.

Another hotel project by RIU resorts in the same zone, is now suspended due to an injunction filled by a law firm in Cancún.

Source: http://sipse.com/

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