Mérida, Yucatán — Believe it or not, the construction site behind the Church of the Third Order will be a gleaming, modern Music Palace by the end of the year.
Everything is going to plan, Public Works Secretary Daniel Quintal told Diario de Yucatán.
The first phase of the construction — demolition of the old state legislative building, excavation and foundation work — was 2016’s accomplishment. Now comes Phase 2, and workers are said to be on track to deliver a museum, archive and performance space devoted to Mexico’s musical heritage by year’s end.
The Music Palace — El Palacio de la Música — is rising in the very heart of the historic center of the city, on Calle 58 and within a stone’s throw from the Plaza Grande, the Cathedral of Mérida and the Teatro Peón Contreras.
Quintal said that crews are removing the buttresses and are beginning work on structures, including building out the facades with regionally sourced stone.
The building will feature a 400-seat concert hall, a museum, a recording studio and a high-tech music library. It will be the only museum of its kind in Mexico.
The 400-million-peso project is one of three major ongoing state-government projects. The 650-million-peso convention center in the hotel zone and the 750-million-peso maternity/children’s hospital are the other two. All are due to be completed at the end of 2017.
