Altozano y Ciudad Tres Marias, La Nueva Morelia

Altozano Facelift

2008-06-18T00:15:00.001-05:00

As you can see in these two photos, the main avenues up here in Altozano are getting spruced up.

Quite a few people have written to me lamenting about the construction up here destroying the forests.

However, the area where Altozano is being built was mainly pastures. If there were forests here, they were destroyed decades, if not centuries ago. The only area that I would call wooded is where the golf course is being built.

This google satellite photo below shows some of the wooded areas that hopefully will be somewhat protected from growth in the future. It will also give some of you that are not so familiar with Morelia an idea of just how close some of these projects are to one another.

The wooded area between the labels Paseo Morelia and Jesus del Monte is the Valle del Rio Chiquito reserve. The yellow line is Camelinas Blvd (aka Libremiento)

The dark woods in the lower right hand corner are the beginnings of the forested areas that include the small towns of San Miguel, San Jose de los Torres, Rio Bello, Ichaqueo, Tumbisca. This area is the main watershed for Morelia.

The little finger that juts out to the upper left of the red circle is the Loma de Santa Maria hillside at the southern part of the city.

New Highway to MLM airport revisited

2008-06-14T14:54:00.001-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I took a ride out towards Charo to see how the construction was coming along on the new toll road to Morelia's airport, and extending to connect to the Mexico City-Guadalajara autopista. To see how it looked last February, click here

The construction workers that I spoke with told me it will be open by the middle of July, and I tend to believe them. There is still work to be done, mainly cosmetic on the access ramps, painting, rock falling areas, and toll booths. I was able to drive it all the way from its start near Ciudad Industrial out to the Mexico city toll road. Here are a few observations:

It is a two lane highway, but has large shoulders, very similar to the toll highway to Lazaro Cardenas and Ixtapa. Those who are not familiar with these Mexican autopistas can get a chuckle by visiting Mickey Dick's peeks at Highway Lunacy .

(click on photos to enlarge)

(above) Here is the start, the bridge over the DF-Guadalajara toll road (right). 30 kilometers from Avenida Camelinas at the Charo exit. In the photo at the left, you can see the toll booth being built in the distant, those only going to the airport will just pay one toll, but if you are heading to Chilangolandia or Tapatiaville, double whammy on the tolls. What? You were thinking the owners (guess who) were building this highway for the common good?

After a short jaunt of 4.5 KMs, you pass the runway to MLM (above). The control tower can be seen in the distance, this old passenger jet must of got lost in the fog a few years back.

For those of you who ever had the thrill of driving or riding in a bus from Mexico City to Morelia before the toll road opened, you will be happy to note, that once again, you will pass the sleepy little town of Charo. When I was dating my better half, and taking the all nighter on ETN bus lines from Acapulco to Morelia. I remember seeing the steeple on the main church at Charo, thinking, yahoo, I am almost there.

I don't know about these distances, I guess they could be accurate. If so, we are only 2 hours away from both Guadalajara y Mexico city, This sign is directly across from the runway at MLM. It seems that we are getting closer and closer to Mexico city. First they re-routed traffic so we no longer have to traverse Toluca, now we can hook up to the Autopista Guad-Mexico well east of Lake Cuitzeo.

Although a sign near the first toll booth read 50 kms to Morelia. I measured 30 kilometers to Camelinas....if it is 20 kilometers from Camelinas to the historic center of Morelia, I'll eat my sombrero. Sometimes I think tequila plays a part in these sign postings. (sign in photo says 245 kms to Mexico, and 230 km to Guadalajara)

(above) At about 23 kms from where we started, is the second toll and the exit for Bosques at Ciudad Tres Marias. In the photo you can see the corporate office of Posadas de Mexico. We are only about 7 kms from Camelinas avenue here.

These are 2 of the more scenic vistas along the way, Ciudad Industrial, and the new sewerage treatment plant. (Editor's note: sarcasm intended)

With the exception of the above, this entrance from the airport should make for a much better first impression of Morelia and Michoacan. Let's face it, coming in to Morelia from the north on the old road was not showing off our city's best angle.

Bosques Altozano, June 2008

2008-06-11T22:49:00.002-05:00

Below is the course layout. I walked the first 5 holes, then over to holes number 10 and 11. They are hoping to have 9 holes open sometime this summer. A few of the holes were ready to play, although the grass could use a little more maturation time. I am excited about how the layout is coming along, I think it will be a fun, fair course, unlike some other, more acclaimed courses in the area.

Come on along as we walk through some of the holes. Keep in mind, these photos were taken 3 weeks ago in May, the driest time of the year here in Morelia. It has been raining fairly steady for the last 3-4 days, so things are looking much greener up here already.

Hole # 1, Par 4, 390 yards from the blue tees.

You will want to aim your drive towards the large tree in the middle of the fairway. It is fairly open and forgiving, which is good seeing as it is Hole Numero Uno!

This photo below shows the landing area for your drive. You would play a high iron over the stream, into a small green surrounded by bunkers.

Hole # 2, Par 5, 533 yards from the blue tees.

This hole is straight up hill, making it very challenging to go for the green in two. Below is looking back at the tee area.

Assuming a straight long drive, below is the view of your second shot will look like, bunkers are strategically placed on both sides of the fairway.

Behind the second green, looking back to drive's landing area. (below). In the distance is Jesus del Monte. This hole is up pretty high, and I can see it getting pretty windy up here at times.

Hole # 3, Par 4, 466 yards from the blue tees.

What goes up, must come down. Having hiked up number 2, now it is straight downhill with the wind at your back. At an altitude of well over 7000 ft., hackers like me should have fun letting it all hang out on this drive. Aim for the lake, with a fade, and you could easily reach 300 yards off the tee. The building just past the lake will be the provisional clubhouse. The Altozano towers can be seen in the distance.

Your second shot (below) is also straight downhill. The fairway on this hole was still a ways from having mature grass ready for play.

Hole # 4, Par 4, 380 yards from the blue tees.

We have crossed under the perimeter road, and are entering the flatter, more wooded section of the course. This is a short dog-leg left, slightly downhill.

If you are still with me, reading this, you must be a golfer. Below is the 4th green. We are coming into the area where 4-5 holes are very close to one another. You are either finishing up on 18, or moving onto holes number 5 & 6. (see course layout above)

Hole # 18, Par 5, 571 yards from the blue tees.

As you walk off the 4th green, you come into the HUB of the Bosques Altozano course. The photo below shows the 18th green, you would be hitting your 3rd shot over the pond. This would also be a great vantage point for watching a tournament, as you can enjoy watching play on 4 or 5 different holes from here, as well as being in a nice shaded grove of eucalyptus trees.

Hole # 10, Par 4, 443 yards from the blues

Holes 10 and 11 will probably be included in the first 9 holes to open this summer. Here we are looking over the recently topdressed green at No. 10. It is a dogleg left.

Hole # 11, Par 4, 427 yards from the blues

Tees at 11, a slight dogleg right. That's my tour for now, can't wait to try out my neighborhood course in a few weeks, come on down, you won't be disappointed !!

The Mauling of Monarcas

2008-05-07T23:22:00.001-05:00

No, I am not going to rake on the poor Divison 1 professional soccer team we have here in Morelia. Rather I will stay with the theme of the MALLS that plan to be springing up over Monarch Mountain.

The hummingbirds up here are buzzing about the potential land purchase of a plot of land near the Jefferson High School and La Bandera memorial park by Grupo Acosta Verde . I guess I will have a Soriana's supermarket nearby at some point.

Now, on to the visuals. Here are three floor plans for the first phase of the large mall here in Monarch Mountain, known as Paseo Morelia.

Starting from left to right, bottom to top, here are the floor plans:

The Liverpool anchor store will be two floors, this plan shows the first floor (Planta baja). Liverpool will be closest to the access road connecting the Juan Pablo II traffic circle (see previous posts) to the access road to Morelia, yet to be determined as to tunnel or bridge.

Below is the main floor (Planta primer nivel) with the Liverpool store's second floor. On the far end is the other anchor store Sears. You would enter Sears first floor from this level.

Below is the second floor (planta 2do nivel) which shows the Cinemex movie theaters, which will overlay the Zara store above, and the second floor of sears, with Playtime over the Coppel store.

These three floor plans represent the first stage of the project, below is a partial list of the stores that have commited to the mall's first phase:

LIVERPOOL, SEARS, CINEMEX, SANBORNS, ITALIANNIS, APPLEBEES, CARLS JR, LA MANSION, MC DONALDS, TACO INN, SUBWAY, STARBUCKS, COLD STONE CREAMERY, HOOTERS (negotiating)
HARD ROCK CAFE (almost a done deal), ZARA, BERSHKA,
LACOSTE, TOMMY, MARINGO, MANGO, BENETTON, JULIO, MASKOTA, MIX UP, DISCOVERY THE STORE, GAME PLANET, BLOCKBUSTER, CRABTREE & EVELYN, BIZARRO, HERTZ , ALAMO RENT A CAR, MEXICANA, PLAY CITY, NECK & NECK, PUMA STORE, MARTI, MARTI SOCCER, DEPORTENIS, ATHLETE'S FOOT, DIONE.

First phase of the peripheral area of Paseo Morelia, corporations commited include:

WAL MART, SAMS CLUB (negotiating), MIDAS, AUTO ZONE

Below is the view that you will have of Morelia from the Mansion Restaurant and the Fiesta Inn hotel.

Plaza Las Americas Mall, Morelia - Phase I

2008-05-04T10:05:00.001-05:00

The first phase of Plaza Las Americas mall opened this week, featuring the Cinepolis VIP cinemas. Surprisingly, even though the corporate headquarters of Cinepolis are based here in Morelia, it took awhile for the VIP cinemas to arrive here.

The color-coded overlays above show the future expansion plans for the mall. Eventually all of the outdoor parking and some of the homes in the area will be replaced by the mall. It will even surround the nearby Financial tower.

Photo above shows the plaza from the inside, with the new cinemas on the 3rd floor.

Bosque Altozano, update

2008-04-16T00:23:00.001-05:00

As promised from my previous post, here are some photos of two of what look to be challenging holes here. The first is a long dog-leg left, where you need to drive over the pond. I think this will be a par 5 hole. Photo taken 3/2008

This hole below is very scenic, appears to be a long par 4. Keep in mind that these photos were taken during the driest time of the year here. The first good rainstorm took place last Sunday. They will have 9 holes ready to play this year. What month? Let's just say I have heard conflicting reports.

The "Valle de Altozano" awakens

2008-04-16T00:02:00.001-05:00

Over the past 3 years, this gated community, listed on Altozano's master plan as the Valle de Altozano, has laid silent. Walls were in place, cemented streets and services installed, but no housing....Photo taken in Sept 2005

Now, as seen in the photo below taken 3 weeks ago, a flurry of building has begun.

Ciudad Tres Marias - LPGA Tournament 2008

2008-04-15T23:17:00.001-05:00

The annual LPGA golf tourname

The annual LPGA tournament was held last weekend here in Tres Marias. The #1 woman's golfer in the world and native born Tapatia, Lorena Ochoa, took home the first place trophy.

I took my daughter out on Saturday to fight the crowds. Not that she is a golf enthusiast, only that she is a teenager, and wants to be around the "in" crowd. It is funny, when you are in the bleachers or near the greens, most of the people don't have a clue what is going on. One lady politely asked me as we watched two Korean golfers approach the 18th green, "How do they know which ball is theirs?" It wasn't as if they both had landed in the trap next to one another. There was a good 40 meters seperating the two balls.

I was surprised to see many older Americans working as crowd silencers, I assume they are imported from the Lake Chapala rest home....err, retirement community. If they live in Morelia, I must be living a sheltered life here.

Admittedly, I have not spent a lot of time on Tres Marias. The photo above shows its present state (only much greener as it was taken in last summer during the rains). This slight is mainly due to the fact that I have the Altozano in my backyard. Personally, if I were to buy a place in Morelia in either of the two, my heart would go to Altozano.

My friend, David, a retired school teacher from California, has built a beautiful home there. However, there is much more greenery and beauty up there on Monarch Mountain, and you are immersed in what truly makes Mexico special, the people. Somehow I get the impression that Tres Marias is trying too hard to be an exclusive entity. I wish both projects well. The two are both competitors and lovers at the same time.

Paseo Morelia update

2008-04-01T00:32:00.001-06:00

Technorati Tags: Paseo Morelia,La Nueva Morelia,Jesus del Monte,Morelia Mall,Altozano,Ciudad tres Marias

The above drawing will give you an idea of some of the companies that have signed on with Grupo GICSA that will form this large mall.

Most of the names you will recognize, Wal-Mart, Sears, Liverpool, Carl Jrs., Sanborn;s etc. Play City, Johnny Rockets, Italiannis Restaurant are some of the lesser known establishments. Any idea why it is Cinemex and not Cinepolis movie theaters here ? I have been told close to 70% of the major locales have been reserved.

Below is an outline of the stores layered over a recent photo of the construction site. As you can see, there is still a ways to go, but they are working on it 24/7. My teenage kids are more anxious than I regarding its completion, small town life is just too dull for them!

Place your bets !!

2008-03-26T23:15:00.001-06:00

If I were a betting man, this is the access road I would bet the ranchito on. The white line in the photo is the second proposal of access to the Paseo Morelia mall and the rest of Altozano. This will require a "Megapuente", a bridge of some sort, which is shown in the two white arches which will span the Rio Chiquito .

This makes much more sense to me, as the access will be from the McDonald's on Camelinas near the Plaza Morelia. The Megatunnel which I have described in previous posts, although it may be more unique and possibly more asthetic to the eye, is too controversial in this town. Plus its access to Camelinas is at the Sanson Flores intersection, which is only one stoplight away from the present access road at "La Paloma" intersection.

Of course, all of this now is a giant political football. Without getting too political, the players here are very high profile at this moment in Mexico. Felipe Calderon, Morelia's native son, and present President of the Republic, is more than ready to fork over the pesos to make this project a success. Standing in the way, is the newly elected Governor of Michoacan, whom is from the opposition party. Will funds forked over from the Federal Government, be used to buoy the opposition's losing presidential candidate? I understand his real initials are MALO , but somehow Andres became his first name, not Manuel, after he had the epiphany of politics in his blood.

Alas,, politics aside, two access roads to this area will happen this year. Too many interests are at stake for it not to happen. One will be the MegaPuente or MegaTunnel, and the other will be an access out to the Patzcuaro Highway.

Plaza Las Americas, virtual tour

2008-03-12T22:14:00.000-06:00

For a virtual tour of how the revamped Plaza Las Americas will look inside, visit this youtube video posted by Manavion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO402M57RcE

Altozano's Master Plan. where they stand.

2008-03-11T00:13:00.001-06:00

Above is the master plan for the Altozano project. I took this off of their website, and I have amplified the numbers and put some of the communities in English. Their website is a little frustrating to navigate, regardless of the language. http://www.altozano.com.mx/. Anyway, you can click on the above map, enlarge it, so that the names and numbers are legible. I am going to clarify the specific areas in this and future posts with photos to show their present state of development.

1. Bosque Monarca...see previous posts for photos. I have been told that 9 holes will be open for play this spring. I hope to get there soon to take some updated photos of the golf course construction. In December, there were only a handfull of holes ready for play.

2 . Punta Altozano (anyone else have the tendency to say/type Altazona?) I have insider info on this, as one of my in-laws built a nice 3 BR home here. There are modern townhomes, aimed at both first time home buyers, young families, as well as retirees.

Punto Altozano is the most populated area of the development as of now. It is very close to the entrance to Bosque Monarca, the golf course.

3. Paraiso Altozano. This is just to the right as you head down the hill from the Tec de Monterry traffic circle. At present, there are 2-3 buildings in this gated community. The appear to be well built, large residences.

THE PRICE OF PROGRESS

2008-03-04T23:27:00.001-06:00

This field to the right was one of my favorites up here near Altozano. This photo was taken in Sept 2005 when the "Mirasoles" were in full bloom....Almost looks as if it should be hanging in the Musee d'Orsay.

This is how the field looked last fall, after the Government got hold of it. The city decided to use it as a construction area, as they spent months destroying, then rebuilding our main access road into Jesus del Monte. Hopefully the Mirasoles will return, they are almost like weeds up here.

Our road to Jesus Del Monte before the construction began. A little cluttered with pedestrian traffic, but overall, not in too bad a state.

For weeks, this is how they left the access road to my home, and no, I do not own a range rover.

For many a day, this is how the road looked , or worse, with machines standing idly by while Government officials looked for the money that was "misplaced".

One year later, here is the new road, pretty much like the old road, although the septic, drainage, and water pipes below are in much better repair.

Paseo Morelia

2008-03-02T22:57:00.001-06:00

Construction on the new "Paseo Morelia" mall keeps going, day and night. It still boggles my mind to think I will have one of the largest malls in Latin America (reported to be between 90-120,ooo square meters of construction), near my backyard. The success or failure of this depends on the access routes to be approved and built by the government. Below is a bird's eye view of where the "megatunnel" is slated to be built.

The white area in the photo to the right is where the mall is being constructed, the white curvy line cutting through the trees is where the megatunnel will be built underground. The golf course on the lower left is the Club Campestre, to give you an idea of locale.

This shot was taken from the Pope's traffic circle in January, it is hard to appreciate the immensity of this mall from afar. I guess they know their market, and I will not quarrel with Grupo GICSA's success, but with the new look "Plazas Las Americas" and the redone " Antigua Centro Caminero" (see below), I have my doubts that all this retail space can be successful.

The "old" bus station as it looks today, it is behind the " Mercado de Dulces" in Morelia center. It sits abandoned as we speak, but my memories of first arriving on an ETN bus to Morelia here live on.

The proposed new look mall at the same site (right). Supposedly, funding for its construction is due to kick in this year (2008)

The 1st stage of the "Plaza Las Americas" facelift is nearing its completion. The new half of the present plaza that includes Sears and Fabricas de F

rancia is due to open within the next month or two...or 3 or 4 :)

Getting airborne, sin topes!!

2008-02-13T00:49:00.001-06:00

Construction of the new highway to Morelia's International Airport is plugging along as you can see. Once finished, it will take roughly 20 minutes from MLM to Morelia center.

Right now the old way winds through 2-3 towns with several topes (speed bumps) in each, taking 45 minutes by cab, depending on how daring and reckless your driver is.

These photos were taken in December 2007, near the center of Charro. I believe the highway will start at the Charro exit off of Camelinas, it will cross the old airport road just east of the airport, continuing on and connecting you to the Mexico City-Guadalajara toll road.

Three industrial parks are planned in the area, one in Zinapecuaro, not too far east of the airport, the other is an expansion of the present Ciudad Industrial on the eastern side of Morelia, and the 3rd will be a high tech center in Tres Marias, offering both lower and upper middle class wages.

The Triplets

2008-02-13T00:13:00.000-06:00

The third and final tower in the "Torres de Altozano" project is nearing its completion. I am impressed with the architects' imagination, or should I say ambition. Each tower is taller than the previous, lending to what I would assume to be more expensive Penthouse views, as well as more square footage to sell.

Also of note, is that each tower is built at a slight angle to the other, affording spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. I would not doubt that one can see the Cathedral downtown from the upper floors. I have only been in the first (shortest) tower. Each tower has its own gymnasium, and I believe an outdoor Olympic style pool is in the plans. For more info, visit http://www.altozano.com.mx/torresdealtozano/ano/ .

Fore, score.....maybe 7 years

2008-02-09T01:09:00.001-06:00

To be fair, these photos were taken last Summer & Fall 2007, so the construction has come along. When finished, this will be a very nice 18 hole golf course, quite a bit different from the Tres Marias course. Tres Marias is similar to a Southwest USA canyon course. This will be more of a wooded , tight shots, very scenic golf course with two man-made ponds and a small stream running through it. I used to hike out here, and there were always signs of coyote, fox, deer, etc.

"Bosques Monarca Country Club" was due to have its inauguration last November, but seems to be on Mexican time :))

Now, before you go and make your tee times, the photos above are of the 4-5 holes that have grass, most of the course is in the state of the photos below. The drainage and water pipes have been put in place, but the fairways and greens have yet to be seeded. I do not forsee this course being open until 2009, hopefully they will prove me wrong.

What's in a name??

2008-02-08T23:30:00.000-06:00

The powers to be in the Monarch Mountain Project are not satisfied with the results happening up here on the mesa overlooking Morelia, or so the birdies tell me. They contracted a Spanish consulting firm to find a way to boost sales of the gated communities that are taking over the cow pastures up here near Jesus Del Monte.

So what do you think a Spanish consulting firm would come up with? "Monarcas" is too common for the upper crust that we are looking for up here (sarcasm interjected). Heaven forbid, taxis, tacos stands, soccer teams, all have this commoner's name "Monarca". We must name it after something mucho mas cavalier....say, a Spanish wine, ..yeah, who'da thunk it! Never mind that Michoacan is the winter home to the fluttering insect with the regal name.

So, after thousands of pesos spent on name buildup on the radio, etc. , this project has morphed from the Monarch Mountain project, (aka "Montana Monarca"), equally regal and easily remembered in both languages, to become known as "Altozano". Just reposition the Os and the As in that name, and you can become as confused as I.

I am sure that a looming recession and huge housing downturn in North America had as much to do with any slowdown here, then the name, but who am I to opine. On to the changes that have taken place since my last posting, much more than name changes.

The Pope's blessing

The traffic circle, or to us New Englanders: "Rotary" has a new statue, of the travelling Pope, Juan Pablo II. Most new businesses in Mexico make sure they have a priest come in to bless the establishment at its opening, not here in "Altozano" we have boulevards and statues honoring the late Pope.

PASEO MORELIA MALL - APRIL 8TH, 2007

2007-04-17T00:37:00.000-05:00

Click on photos to enlarge.
To the right, my truck is parked on the street that leads down from the traffic circle towards Morelia, the connection to the tunnel will be here. To the left of the photo, the mall construction can be seen.

This photo below shows the enormity of the mall, which will encompass close to 90,000 square meters (see gicsa.com.mx). The perimeter road to the right in the photo leads back to my pickup.

It wasn't that easy, but being Easter Sunday, there was very little vigilance in the construction site, so I took the liberty of climbing up inside to get this view of Morelia below. When enlarged, you can see the access road to the right leading up to Tres Marias Golf club. In the foreground, on the far left of the photo, you can see one of the many feral horses that roam these pastures and woods up here. They are as perplexed about what is happening as I am! :)

Golf Course photos - Taken April 8th, 2007

2007-04-16T23:57:00.000-05:00

Click on images to enlarge, the Punta Monarca community can be seen to the left. Morelia is in the distance.

Here in this photo, you can appreciate the beauty of the area. The Moorish Group is designing this course. It is aimed to being more "golfer friendly" so that the average duffer can enjoy his/her round time and time again.

I expect the developers are working their best to have the course laid out and seeded, before the seasonal rains come.

Ecological Reserve del Rio Chiquito

2007-04-16T22:54:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest obstacles to the construction of the Megatunnel and Mall projects has been that it is being built very near, if not within, an ecological reserve formed under the Government of Lazaro Cardenas en the early 1930s. This reserve is the main watershed region for the city of Morelia with the Rio Chiquito running through it. The reserve is known as the "Cuenca hidrogrfica del Rio Chiquito"

Boundaries are:

1. La Nopalera hill

2. Puerto del Venado

3. Cerro de Aparicio

4. Cerro Alto, Punta de Tierra, La

Rosa

5. Cerro Azul

6. Agua Zarca

7. Cruz de los Zimbos o Cruz Gorda

8. Cerro Verde

9. Pueblo de Jesus del Monte (red X is my house)

PHOTOS OF THE RIO CHIQUITO RESERVE

Overview of the New Morelia Expansion

2007-04-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

This map shows the area of expansion for the New Morelia. The area in blue is where most of the projects will take place.

The dark blue line shows the present road that winds down from Jesus del Monte through Santa Maria, ending in either the Paloma intersection or at Morelos Sur on Camelinas (near the zoo and Star Medica)

The above map shows the long range planned growth of the southern sector of Morelia. Yellow line is Avenida Camelinas. The red line is the current project known as the "Megatunnel" that will connect the city to the upper plateau where the mall, golf course, and numerous planned gated communities will be.

The dark blue shows where a perimeter road is planned connecting the tunnel extension, which would by-pass Santa Maria, El Durazno, and Fracc. Mesoamericano, ending at Libramiento Independencia near Costco (Independencia and Camelinas are one and the same, their name just changes depending on which part of the city you are in.

The brown, aqua, and red roads are planned outlets connecting to the Patzcuaro Highway. When and if all of these roads will be built is anyone's guess, but for now, the Paseo de Morelia Mall, Bosque Monarca Golf course, and tunnel project are under way and due for completion sometime in 2008.

I lifted these aerial photos off of the Morelia government's website. For a detail description of the tunnel project, including re-forestation of trees etc. visit :

http://www.morelia.gob.mx/web/Html/Hechos/Tunel%20Vial/PRESENTACIONtunelPARAinternetOK%20Abril2007.pdf

This photo shows the Cointzio Dammed lake which you can see at the bottom of the previous map.

Mega tunnel - aerial view of Project

2007-04-14T00:12:00.000-05:00

Here is an aerial shot of where the proposed tunnel will be built. You can see the construction of the mall Paseo Morelia in the lower right hand corner of the photo.

Torres Monarca

2007-01-26T14:09:00.000-06:00

Here is a computer generated design of the 3 towers that are to be built in front of the Tecnologica de Monterrey. Right now there is one tower completed and construction of the second tower began in Decmber 2006. I have been told the 2nd tower is completely sold off. Last I checked, which was in Summer 2006, apartments started at @ $ 80,000 usd.

Here is the construction of the second tower, the second floor cement floor has been poured. Photo taken 1-23-2007.

Here is the progress of the second tower. This photo was taken Easter Sunday 2007 (April). I have been told the apartments are now selling for over $100,000 usd, and that most of the second tower has been sold. The 3rd and final tower construction should begin here in a few months.

Bosques Monarca

2007-01-25T15:00:00.000-06:00

The second major player in la Nueva Morelia is Francisco Medina, a local entrpreneur with auto dealerships throughout Mexico. He is the principal owner of all the land up here near Jesus del Monte that will become Montaña Monarca. The company GICSA is the contractor behind the Paseo de Morelia mall. They are a large contractor out of Mexico City, it is rumored that Carlos Slim is behind GICSA. Paseo Morelia will be the largest mall in the GICSA system, and one of the largest in Latin America.

As stated earlier, Enrique Ramirez has his pet golf course, not to be outdone, Francisco "Paco" Medina is now constructing his up here. Below are the photos of what will become Bosques Montana CC. Keep in mind, 3-4 months ago, I was walking through these woods, they were just starting to move dirt around.

The photo at the right was taken from the highest point in the perimeter road that runs around the golf course. The brick structure in the middle (click on photo to enlarge it) is Los Corporales Salon de Fiesta. The white tower for the tech would be just outside of this photo to the left. The author´s home is in the distance in line with Los Corporales at the far tree line.

This photo was taken from the same spot, just moving left. The Tec Tower can be seen, and behind that in the distance, is the new construction for Paseo Morelia. You are looking north. The foreground sandy areas are where the golf course is.

Same vantage point, just moved the camera to the left, Golf holes in foreground, the white buildings in the distance are in the gated community of Punta Monarca. I really believe that Bosques Monarca will be the neighborhood to live in Morelia. Much more naturally scenic than Tres Marias.

Here is part of the perimeter road around the golf course. After hiking through these woods over the years, my only hope is that they will zone this community for at least 1 acre lots.

Monarch Mountain Project

2007-01-23T11:23:00.000-06:00

This blog was created to inform my family and others interested in the new mega-development in Morelia that is being billed as the ¨New Morelia¨. It includes the Montaña Monarca project, and Ciudad Tres Marias.

These 2 major developments include many gated subdivisions with names such as Punta Monarca, Bosques Morelia, Torres Monarca, Paseo de Morelia Mall, Tres Marias Golf and Equestrian club, Bosques Montaña Golf Course, Tecnologia de Monterrey campus Morelia, UNAM cumpus Morelia, Jefferson High School, Varmond School, etc.

The photo below shows the tower in the Torres Monarca project, which is near the Tec de Monterrey. It was taken from the balcony of my bedroom, hence you can see why I have a vested interest in the Montaña Monarca Project.

I am by no means an expert on this. What I state in this blog is based on chismes (gossip), and what I have learned from forums in Spanish on the internet. I hope those that are informed of new developments in these projects will share their knowledge with me by leaving comments in either Español or English. I hope to update this with more photos as the months progress.

I took this graphic and photo off of another site. They show the small strip mall in front of the Tec de Monterrey Campus. If you drive towards Jesus del Monte out of Santa Maria in Morelia, you will come to a traffic circle. Going right at this circle will bring you to the Tec campus, further on are several developments, the Torres Montaña, and the new golf course calles Bosques Montaña. (see below)

Going around the traffic circle (left), will lead you to this dead end street. The construction for Paseo de Morelia is just to the left of this photo. This avenue will eventually be connected to the 2 tunnels (4 lanes in total) that will wind down to the intersection of Camelinas and Blvd. Sanson Flores, near the IMSS.

PASEO DE MORELIA, CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS JANUARY 2007

These photos were taken at the end of the street leading down from the traffic circle. Somewhere below these trees will be 4 lanes of traffic going through tunnels. This is a reality, tunnel construction starts any day now. It has been approved by the government, and a contractor has already gone through the solicitation process. The contractor is from a mining company in Northern Mexico, Chihuahua I believe.

This photo below shows you the view up here. The cathedral is just to the right of the construction shack, through the trees.

Entrance to mall, and beginnings of the construction. If you scroll up to the first photo with the horses. You will see the construction grading in the background. This is how the project was 2 years ago. But with the elections in the past, construction has started anew within the last few months.

Paseo Morelia is a small part of what is planned for the "Nuevo Morelia".

You have two major players in this arena. The first is Enrique Ramirez, of Organizacion Ramirez fame, his project is the Tres Marias Country club, whose course was designed by Jack Nicklaus (www.tresmarias.com.mx). It hosts a LPGA tour event every year. ¨"Ciudad Tres Marias" is currently building a highway connecting it to the airport. It is home to several schools, including the UNAM satellite campus.

Enrique wishes to construct one of the largest Convention centers in Mexico to attract corporations to locate their corporate offices here for their executives, kind of like a mini Stamford CT, I guess!

One company that is rumored to have signed on is Posadas de Mexico, this is a computer image of its proposed corporate tower to be built in Ciudad Tres Marias.

Of course, Organization Ramiriz also owns Plaza Las Americas, which is getting a facelift. I have driven by those boarded up construction site, but did not realize the extent to the cosmetic surgery to be performed. Below are some computer renditions of the design and photos of what is going on behind those fences. It surprised me.