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Residents of Medellin were promised that the new Lleras Park would be ready to open by the end of 2022, but for the third time, they have been left disappointed. The new target is set for 30 January 2023.
As 2022 came to its end, the local authorities were working on completing work on Lleras Park, which was meant to be a public space to serve local area residents, tourists, and visitors coming to El Poblado. According to JP Medellin, the construction consortium behind the project, the park would serve as a welcome spot for relaxation and recreation in both the commercial and tourist sectors of El Poblado.
During the 9th Citizen Committee that was held on December 29, 2022, it was determined that the park needed more time to be ready to receive visitors in its current state. It was noted that the park was still populated with construction machinery, tractors, containers, and related equipment. According to construction contract 4600092666 of 2021, the work to be done here, combined with the adjacent street works, will come at a total cost of 8.5 million dollars.
Results of the 9th Citizen Committee Meeting
An objection was made to the fact that two bodies responsible for the project, the Secretariat of Physical Infrastructure and the Metropolitan Area of the Aburra Valley, did not send their representatives to the committee meeting. Even so, the construction consortium was commended for the visible work that has been carried out so far, as the park is visibly taking on what will be its final shape, and evidence of continuing progress can be seen.
Projections regarding the park’s expected progress had been presented to the committee and observers utilizing digital renderings on three past occasions. At the first meeting, which took place in February of 2022, the projected timeline for completion of the park project was set for October of the same year, a date that was overshot in October.
As per their requests, numerous extensions to the project’s deadline were granted to the construction consortium. The first was stated as the ‘Last week of December,’ another was set for the end of January, and the most recent one places the targetted completion date at March 10, 2023.
Thoughts From the Mayor’s Office
Luisa Fernanda Gomez Villegas, Medellin’s Secretary of Infrastructure, stated that her department was happy with the current progress of the Lleras park renovation project. Even though the strong winter experienced in 2022 slowed down their progress last year, she is hopeful that the park’s completion can be achieved this year. She has stated her appreciation of the El Poblado community and promises that the park will be a great boon for them and their endeavors once it is fully completed.
The Mayor’s Office of Medellin acknowledges the frustration merchants and residents in El Poblado are experiencing because of these delays. On December 30, the mayor’s office released a statement promising completion of the park by the end of the year as a ‘Christmas present.’ Whether or not they will fulfill this promise remains to be seen.
