Barrio Mexico, by the Infamous Coca Cola Bus Station, Will Undergo Renovations.

San Jose may not be well-known for its beautiful architecture, but several downtown neighborhoods embody colonial construction and reflect on times long since passed. A new project, however, has set out to change this assumption and refurbish the city’s forgotten neighborhoods, returning soaring arches, molded windows, and historic facades back to their original splendor.

Certain downtown San Jose barrios played key roles in Costa Rica’s development and growth, though they have since slipped into neglect and disrepair. As time goes by and their beauty disappears, these neighborhoods’ history is also forgotten, prompting the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports to propose Proyecto Barrio (Project Neighborhood), an initiative to restore the areas’ beauty and remind everyone of their important roll in Costa Rica history.

Virginia Vargas, project coordinator, explained that the the project includes a two-fold plan: first, San José’s downtown neighborhoods will undergo an overhaul, then the province will undergo a historic facelift. In both downtown and further afield, Project Neighborhood will encourage citizens to move back into old neighborhoods and homes, recovering Costa Rica’s collective memory through local history, life stories, and tales of urban development and building construction from many years ago.

The project’s first phase will include renovation and reconstruction of Barrios Luján, México, Otoya, Los Ángles, Pitahaya, and Escalante, which were chosen because of their diverse architectural styles, as well as ideal locations for residential living, close to schools, places of worship, business, and industry. In all cases, emphasis will be on tangible values, like Costa Rica’s patrimony and architecture, and intangible values, such as recovering lost stories and neighborhood memories. The final goal: a downtown area worthy of the adjective “charming,” where neighbors celebrate their ups and support each other during downs.

Plans for Barrio Luján and Barrio México renovations have already begun, and a team of professionals has begun preliminary investigations and research regarding documents, dates, and local history. Among the information already uncovered are art collections, property inventories, and children’s artwork. To reflect each neighborhood’s unique personality, the final phase of the project will deliver an artistic masterpiece — twelve in total — to each renovated neighborhood. The artwork will be completed by multi-generational Costa Rican artists, including school children from each neighborhood’s schools.

In addition to recovering lost histories, stories, and neighborhood personalities, the Project Neighborhood initiative will be complemented by physical renovations. Public buildings in particular will undergo investigation, and budgets drawn up on their restoration. These plans, together with new home owners willing to offer old buildings a bit of TLC, will help restore San José’s historic, beautiful neighborhoods to their former glory.

Instead of focusing simply on physical restoration of old neighborhoods, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has chosen to emphasize memories and history as a part of Costa Rica’s national heritage. Thanks to this foresight, downtown neighborhoods will not only be restored to their former physical beauty, but the city’s historic culture will be remembered, as well. Truly, Project Neighborhood is about positive change for downtown, helping remind the city of its proud, long history.

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on September 4th, 2008