The “Casino de Progreso” located on 31st Street with 74 in the center of the port, is one of the oldest and most iconic buildings in the city, once a social site for the upper class; however, today it is ruins and at risk of collapse.
In the last administration of José Cortés, the building was fenced by Civil Protection with wood and caution tape since the structure was weak, and it was possible that some parts could break off and injure pedestrians.
Despite being secured, no further steps were taken, and for a long time the future of the casino remained uncertain; the past City Council informed that it could not accomplish anything more since there was no knowledge about the actions that the owners would take.
According to sources, some casino building shareholders still reside in the port, including Mr. Alonzo Benitez, who reportedly owns most of the shares. Other owners are Dr. Gutiérrez and Mrs. Enea Peña. However, none of them has made any recent statements regarding the property.
The present administration has returned to take action on the matter and rescue work has begun on this building. In the past few days, Mayor Julián Zacarías supervised the first rescue steps of the “Casino de Progreso”, which are possible after several meetings that began six months ago with INAH.
TEXT: Punto Medio
