Odebrecht delivers over 1,000 apartments in Panama

December marked the start of a gradual change in the lives of thousands of Panamanians: the delivery of the first 1,020 units of the Alto de Los Lagos residential complex, which is part of a major urban renovation project in Colón, Panama’s second-largest city.

The Nuevo Colón Consortium, formed by Odebrecht Engineering & Construction and Construtora Urbana S.A., delivered the apartments on December 5. The residential complex is part of the Colón Urban Renovation Project, which in all will deliver 5,000 residential units, 20% of which will be adapted for people with disabilities and the elderly.

Social risk

The families receiving the new homes were selected through a preliminary social evaluation, for which the main criterion was that the families selected must live in condemned properties or in buildings subject to social risk.

This is the first time that the country has offered a housing solution guided by social interests, with the apartments planned in a way that their residents can make the most of natural lighting and ventilation, helping to keep their electricity bill down. The complex also has common areas with free Wi-Fi access, police stations, fire departments, municipal services, commercial areas, buildings with institutional services and educational and social service centers.

“We’re concluding the first phase of the commitment we undertook in July 2015, when we promised that Colón would see better times, with dignified housing, social integration, new recreational areas and opportunities for development,” said Juan Carlos Varela, Panama’s president, during the delivery ceremony. “I ask the people of Colón to take very good care of this place, because it belongs to them and was built by them.”

Training

The project has made a difference even before the first keys were handed over. The Human Integration Program, which was carried out through the New Colón in Family Program, has been offering professional training to local residents with a view to promoting a culture of peace and peaceful coexistence.

“We’re proud to be a part of the urban transformation of such a beautiful city, and to promote a culture of human integration with social responsibility for its residents,” noted Tito Serra, who was responsible for the Agreement. During the 24 months of construction, over 3,000 professionals were employed, 90% of which are residents of the city.

Change of atmosphere

Once concluded, the Colón Urban Renovation will have transformed the lives of its residents. The old part of the city will have its streets and avenues rebuilt and the power and waste networks will be improved, as well as the sewage system. On December 16, the first phase of Passeio Marino was concluded. The country’s first observation point of the Caribbean Sea will have a bikeway, an auditorium, a multi-purpose sports court and leisure areas. The revitalization also includes the recovery of façades, the installation of sewage and stormwater runoff networks and landscaping

The buildings are part of an urban renovation project in Colón, the country?s second-largest city