New Parking Lot

palapa_gal · Post by **palapa_gal** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:36 pm

Contessa wrote:They managed to save four of the large trees and the trees are doing wonderfully according to the update pictures.

Yes, don't the trees look lovely.

NOT!

(http://www.noticiaspv.com/fotodia/08SEP06.swf)

winterpegman · Post by **winterpegman** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 8:28 pm

Now that right there is just wrong. May as well just remove them.

The more time I spend thinking about a parking lot in place of a park, the more I get annoyed wondering how anyone could possibly think it's a good thing...

Just another step towards PV becoming Cancun... *gag*

Jennybean · Post by **Jennybean** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:36 pm

The more time I spend thinking about a parking lot in place of a park

But it's not a parking lot in place of a park...they're putting a park on top of the parking lot, just like Hidalgo.

My previous response now that I read it is quite strident and rigid in my stance. In fact and over time now that I've had a chance to think about it and talk to some of my local friends, on the south side parking is desperately needed. I spent the better part of my 19 day trip last year in cars with local friends as we drove around on occasions for up to 45 minutes looking for parking ANYwhere within a 10 block radius of the Olas Altas area. More often than not with no luck.

Do I agree with tearing up a park to create this? No, not really. There were better areas around there they could have looked at first, IMO. However I'm now going back on my original inflexible response and saying I'm going to wait and see how they do this, how they handle it, and the final result. I've seen new pictures of Hidalgo and it seems as though it is getting more use now than it was originally. Do I like it? No, I still think it's a wee bit too "sterile" for my taste and doesn't have enough foliage, but whaddya gonna do. It seems the Mexican families like it - they're using it again.

As Vallarta develops more of a middle class, and Mexico now has automobile financing available to nationals, more and more local people are purchasing autos...and the infrastructure just wasn't prepared for the influx of more cars. Still isn't, and that's why you see so much more traffic, more traffic jams, etc. And why you also see so much kerfuffle these days about parking, parking stalls, parking garages. It's a hot potato issue, and not just amongst the locals.

What I do wish is that they had taken those trees out and replanted them somewhere else for the duration of the construction instead of pruning them to within an inch of their lives. But of course, it's hard for us to apply our own knowledge of construction/environmental standards to Mexico, because theirs are drastically different. And as guests in their country, we have to accept that.

EDIT: I admit I'm far more horrified to see the outright tearing down and destroying of all the live foliage on the grounds of the former Molino de Agua than I am to see a heavily pruned tree at Cardenas. What's been done there is a flat out abomination. Again, foliage that could have been just as easily transported and transplanted elsewhere and it was just cut right down to make room for the new crass condo development that's going in. Blech.

Contessa · Post by **Contessa** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:38 pm

Lets review this when the new park is complete! Remember.. the plan is to restore the park back to it's natural beauty. Have faith people!

winterpegman · Post by **winterpegman** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 12:05 am

A park on top..."just like Hidalgo"? sorry...that's the lamest excuse for a "park" there is... No one will argue there is no parking on the south side. I will however argue that destroying a park, uprooting the vendors, and replacing greenery with a Hidalgo-like "park", is not a responsible answer to the parking shortage.

The fact is, the city was never designed for the amount of traffic and vehicles on the streets....period. Throwing a parking lot up isn't going to solve the bigger problem...too many vehicles.

chico98 · Post by **chico98** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 12:49 am

Hidalgo-like "park"

is already has a nick name
LA PLANCHA
the iron cooking grill (the plate)

benito · Post by **benito** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 6:49 pm

before the city let the cardenas park flounder, there were big beautiful ficus trees that were manicured to look like bird houses, i doubt that will ever return by the looks of things, i hope that the new layout will be inviting, with the music gazebo/bandstand it would be nice to hang in the park on the sweltering summer nights, like we used to.

skyscraper · Post by **skyscraper** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:10 pm

Parking on the south side has been next to impossible for the past 7 or so years. Even though I think it was a shame to destroy the park, lets face it, it has been put to little use over the years. I stay in a condo right next to the park and have never seen any activity except for some people using it for a shortcut. I think that the city is trying to resolve the parking problem, and at the same time it looks as if they are going to make much better use of the park when it is finished. The band shell has been replaced, and there are bleachers on the far and next to the beach. All of the vendors have moved onto the side of Basilio Badillo. We can all cry all we want, but that isn't going to bring back the park. All in all, I think the the city did a pretty good job of providing more parking, maintaining some of the greenery, and providing a possible venue for entertainment on the south side. The whole idea of the Malecon extension, and the park changes were done to lure more of the cruise ship people to the south side. If you want to blame anything for the modernization of Vallarta, you should blame the new cruise ship docks. Soon there will be room for 4 of those monsters in Puerto Vallarta.

chico98 · Post by **chico98** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:14 pm

park as you please
for example
inconsiderate for traffic and pedestrian

palapa_gal · Post by **palapa_gal** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:29 pm

Check out the update on the park. The trees seemed to have survived and the park doesn't look so bad.

http://www.global-creations.com/lazarocardenas/

mshuckleberrys · Post by **mshuckleberrys** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 12:35 am

I spent many hours in that park over the years and it will never have the same Mexican feel. How long do you think it will last with cracks in the park floor cement? Some have already filled and others coming. It isn't even open yet. I have 2 son in construction and they would die if something they did ever looked like that. It sould never pass inspection, if they even have one. Tues, before we left I walked thru it and the grass that was just put down was alredy turned brown. Pitillal's grass hasn't been cut and is growing over the plants. The water feature doesn't work and what water was in it was nasty. I feel sad for the loss of the trees, birds, and people. mshuck

New Parking Lot

Parks vs. Parking

Cardenas Parque