C-Urchin
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Posts: 234
Registered: 12-17-2008
Location: La Paz
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"Chin-a Mogote"
This e mail was sent to me from a friend in La Paz...
"Some other tidbits of news..... Mogote..... and the Paraiso Del Mar."
Seems that about 4 weeks ago, confirmed guests reservation were cancelled because the front desk told them they went broke. Well it turns out they
never did get their promised funding. They had no water. Until about a week ago, because the company that runs the de-salinization plant weren’t
going to fix something because they weren’t paid for 6 months.
The boat back and forth was still running but only because the drivers were relying on tips since all employees were laid off. Restaurant and golf
course closed and golf course brown!"
Does anyone know anything about that?
[Edited on 9-12-2011 by BajaNomad]
*Be the man your dog thinks you are
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
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The developer is running into a lot of problems, but so far they are still operating normally. Its a very desirable project so i doubt it will shut
down without someone else grabbing it or the developer finding new financing.
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bajajazz
Nomad
Posts: 386
Registered: 12-18-2006
Location: La Paz, BCS, Mexico
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The Baja Citizen's most recent issue contained a long article about the trials and tribulations of the Mogotemess. According to the Citizen, the
developers are broke, they're being foreclosed on, the project is expected to be sold for cents on the dollar to some other fool who can be conned
into thinking the whole development isn't a lunatic fantasy from the get-go.
The developers and local realtors (who have been stiffed their sales commissions) are blaming the whole fiasco on the dirty hippie mangrove-huggers
who have stood in the way of criminally ugly "progress."
The Citizen says their research into the Mogotemess will continue with an additional article in their next issue, one that will presumably present
another side to the argument.
So far, it has been entirely overlooked that the only sane thing to do with Mogote is bulldoze the neck, turn it into an island wildlife and mangrove
preserve, and allow the water in the inner bay of La Paz to circulate and cleanse itself. If that were done it might someday be possible to swim in
the inner bay without getting conjunctivitis.
I don't know how nuttier it can get than to build a golf course that requires 500,000 gallons of water a day in a desert area that hasn't had a good
rain for a year, for the supposed furtherance of a sport that's in worldwide decline. Can anybody in Mexico spell "market research?"
(And will the human race please get real before I die?)
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajajazz
The Baja Citizen's most recent issue contained a long article about the trials and tribulations of the Mogotemess. According to the Citizen, the
developers are broke, they're being foreclosed on, the project is expected to be sold for cents on the dollar to some other fool who can be conned
into thinking the whole development isn't a lunatic fantasy from the get-go.
The developers and local realtors (who have been stiffed their sales commissions) are blaming the whole fiasco on the dirty hippie mangrove-huggers
who have stood in the way of criminally ugly "progress."
The Citizen says their research into the Mogotemess will continue with an additional article in their next issue, one that will presumably present
another side to the argument.
So far, it has been entirely overlooked that the only sane thing to do with Mogote is bulldoze the neck, turn it into an island wildlife and mangrove
preserve, and allow the water in the inner bay of La Paz to circulate and cleanse itself. If that were done it might someday be possible to swim in
the inner bay without getting conjunctivitis.
I don't know how nuttier it can get than to build a golf course that requires 500,000 gallons of water a day in a desert area that hasn't had a good
rain for a year, for the supposed furtherance of a sport that's in worldwide decline. Can anybody in Mexico spell "market research?"
(And will the human race please get real before I die?) |
Mogote was supposed to operate with both a desalination plant, and a water recycling plant so the water situation wasn't an issue. The area will get
developed, either by the current developers if they get financing, or by new ones (and i know at least two heavy hitters that want it). Its actually a
very desirable area to develop, and the market research is very viable, the problem in my opinion is part economic downturn, part maybe not so great
management, part political, and definately part the competition is pumping money into certain "environmental groups" to hassle Paraiso del mar at
every step.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajajazz
(And will the human race please get real before I die?) |
Not a chance in hell
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
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Mood: thriving in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajajazz
I don't know how nuttier it can get than to build a golf course that requires 500,000 gallons of water a day in a desert area that hasn't had a good
rain for a year, for the supposed furtherance of a sport that's in worldwide decline. Can anybody in Mexico spell "market research?"
(And will the human race please get real before I die?) |
Ditto for the "Tiger Woods" Punta Brava course that supposedly is scheduled to break ground "SOON" here in Punta Banda.
Bob Durrell
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MitchMan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
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Hey Jesse, is your avatar Jeff Bridges or Eddie Vedder?
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
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The value proposition for La Paz is: vista, playa, pesca and embarcaciones. Magote represented a fabulous vista which was noted (the view) as the
highest value resource that La Paz had. Even the governor and researchers noted that blocking the malecon view with poster boards or ads could hurt
the primary resource of La Paz. Coincidentally, the President of Mexico at the time (Fox) noted that the primary resource of Baja California was
coastline, hence the plan for Escalera Nautica.
So, the project at paraiso del mar is important, in that they should not screw up the view or estetic, it is important to use the space within the
means in a beneficial fashion, it is possible, but it must be done in a beautiful and symbiotic way, stable, thoughtful, with an eye on resources,
water, electricity, and of course, recreation.
The Magote is an extreme and harsh space that is critical for nesting sealife, for humans it is a harsh landscape to live in, it is very harsh. The
space does provide occasional access for boating, walking on the beach, sailing and fishing and it could be utilized, but it will take some
understanding by locals of how to use the space. Golfing is a nice thought, but its not supportable there since the eco-system is so critical to the
whole area and a golf course is not suitable nor sustainable for the location resources nor it is a good fit for the customer base.
You could go: Bird Watching, Spa, Retirement, Beach Walking, Sailing, Boating, Adventure, Swimming with Pezapo.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
Hey Jesse, is your avatar Jeff Bridges or Eddie Vedder? |
Its the dude, man!!!
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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Golf is a terrible waste of real estate and resources. But! It's a free world and they are paying for their sport.
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MitchMan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
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The "dude"?
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
The "dude"? |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be7Og9Gc_KY
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Bajatripper
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3151
Registered: 3-20-2010
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Can't say that I'm saddened by the news. The Mogote project was a major ecological disaster from the git-go. Anyone see some of those
native-vegetation replant projects? What a joke. They planted stuff at densities never seen in nature and then didn't water anything (another local
example of this "complying with ecological mandates" is found along the highway to Punta Prieta, complements of the Costa Baja resort complex).
And, while they might be able to convince some that water wouldn't have been an issue, does anyone seriously doubt there would have been major sewage
"challenges" not met, had things gotten that far?
Then there's the little matter of what the building site is: a freaking sand spit with no rock base. These things don't stay put, but are always being
rearranged in accordance with Mother Nature's plan. Talk to old timer Paceños, people who lived on the waterfront in 1941 and saw a hurricane send
waves breaking over the Mogote. That would give a good idea of what the "right" major hurricane will do to anything built out there.
From a business standpoint, it can't be considered a major local economic boost. The only "local hires" were for people who had to shoo the public
away, keeping locals from exercising their right to go ashore on the Mogote. (However, as an American, I was always welcomed with the utmost courtesy
when I ventured over there on a kayak.) For those jobs, few as they were, they hired fishermen from the Esterito and Manglito.
But for the construction jobs, they brought people over from the interior and housed them in over-crowded apartments and houses in La Paz. Likely at
least some of these people will remain, further dragging down salries as they are (initially) willing to work for wages that won't support a family
here but will support a life in a crowded hot-rack apartment.
[Edited on 9-14-2011 by Bajatripper]
There most certainly is but one side to every story: the TRUTH. Variations of it are nothing but lies.
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
The "dude"? |
EL DUDERINO!!
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