Veracruz City and Port will have a new public square in the Malecón area. It will be called Plaza al Heroísmo Veracruzano, and since its confirmation in 2023, the demolition of the old car warehouses has been progressing.
Federal and municipal authorities have not revealed many details since the confirmation of the project on September 22, 2023. Plaza Heroísmo Veracruzano will be located right next to the Veracruz Malecón. In the most recent developments, the artisans from the “Miguel Alemán Valdés” Crafts Market were required to vacate the area on April 16 this year.
In September of last year, Veracruz Mayor Patricia Lobeira announced the project as part of a program to rescue the Historic Center of Veracruz. She stated, “It’s a plaza of heroism, a park; this public space, currently occupied by warehouses, obstructs the view of the sea from the historic center.”
This new space is planned to connect with the Plaza del Heroísmo Veracruzano, thereby expanding the pedestrian area in this coastal zone. After the construction of the new plaza, it would link to a large tourist corridor that would span from the docks to the Malecón’s macroplaza, the Plaza al Heroísmo, and the Plaza de la República.
Guest Architect
The project is under the administration of the National Port System of Veracruz (Asipona), currently led by Carlos Velázquez Tiscareño. The same officials confirmed that they would seek architect Felipe Leal to participate in the design of the project.
Felipe Leal is an architect known for his work in cultural, educational, and public spaces. He gained recognition for overseeing the remodeling and recovery of Mexico City’s Alameda Central.
Leal is an Emeritus Member of the National Academy of Architecture and a member and president of the Seminario de Cultura Mexicana. He graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and served as the director of the Faculty of Architecture from 1997 to 2005. His architectural works and studies have earned him at least 16 national and international awards.
According to the Seminario de Cultura Mexicana, Felipe Leal was a founder of the Public Space Authority of the Mexico City Government in 2008. Under his leadership, projects such as the Pedestrian Corridor on Madero Street, the Plaza de la República, the Monument to the Revolution, and the recovery of the Alameda Central were carried out—some of his most recognized contributions.
Given his profile and architectural trajectory, Felipe Leal is one of the proposed architects for the Plaza del Heroísmo in Veracruz, aiming to revitalize the Historic Center of the city.
Source: La Silla Rota
