Mérida, Yucatán — By the end of next month, officials will release a final draft plan to convert a 20-acre vacant rail yard into a Central Park-like green space.
Jorge Esquivel Millet, a state legal adviser, reported that officials will soon request authorization to enter the rail yards and begin clearing out equipment. The Chiapas-Mayab railway, the legal concession holder of the property, is no longer in operation, and talks have been ongoing for years to officially place the land in state hands.
“For several years there was talk of turning the site into a large park with green areas and cultural spaces, and it seems that now begins to take shape,” reports Diario de Yucatán (English translation).
Esquivel also said that a new location for the rail switchyard is still being sought. It will be relocated to the Periferico and probably near the industrial area, he said.
A rare piece of open space east of the densely populated Centro, the site is north of the old train station between Calles 55 and 43, and Calles 48 and 46. The elegant train station opened as an art school in 2007.
Plans for the site include a forested park, walking paths, botanical and community gardens, sports fields, and a dedicated bicycle lane around its periphery.
