Coyoacán Residents Block Calzada de Tlalpan Over 430-Loft Project
Residents of several Coyoacán neighborhoods blocked Calzada de Tlalpan on Nov. 11 to oppose Skyline Coyoacán, a planned 430-apartment complex.
Residents from several neighborhoods in the alcaldía (borough) of Coyoacán blocked Calzada de Tlalpan on Wednesday, Nov. 11, to protest Skyline Coyoacán, a planned housing development with 430 loft-style apartments. According to W Radio México, they fear the project will add pressure on water supply, drainage and traffic in the area.
The blockade took place at Calzada de Tlalpan 2169, in colonia Atlántida, and slowed traffic on one of the capital’s main avenues, mostly for drivers heading south.
What is planned at Skyline Coyoacán
The project calls for four towers of 15 floors each, with 430 loft-style apartments and 588 parking spaces, according to information circulated about the protest. The size of the site has raised concern among residents.
That size is a source of unease among people who live nearby. The protesters say a complex of this scale could change daily life around it, mainly because more residents would mean more demand for basic services. Their demand is that the conditions under which the building is meant to be developed be reviewed.
What the neighbors say they are worried about
Water supply is the central complaint. Residents fear that adding new households would raise demand for water and make it harder to distribute to the communities already living in the area.
They also point to the drainage system, which they say would carry an extra load from a larger population. Traffic is a third concern. Calzada de Tlalpan is a high-volume road that connects many parts of Mexico City, and the protesters expect the construction work, and later the residents’ own vehicles, to add to congestion.
Some residents also raised questions about the soil and the seismic risk of the area, which they consider relevant for tall buildings.
Traffic and detours during the blockade
The closure caused problems for drivers on Calzada de Tlalpan, especially those heading toward the south of the city. Motorists were advised to consider other routes: División del Norte, Canal de Miramontes, Avenida Pacífico and Eje 10 Sur.
What this means for the area
The protest is one of several actions by residents of different colonias against the project, according to the report. For now, the opposition rests on how the development could affect water, drainage, traffic and the general conditions of the surrounding neighborhoods. Residents are asking that their concerns be taken into account.
Calzada de Tlalpan carries heavy traffic every day, so a blockade on it has effects well beyond Coyoacán. Anyone who regularly drives south along the avenue was among those affected on Nov. 11.
Source: W Radio México
