Operator News

Mexico – Casinos could be part of urban renewal project in Tampico

By Phil - 20 February 2020

Tampico a tropical city on the Gulf of Mexico is looking at introducing casinos in order to bring back tourists.

According to statements by Carlos de la Rosa Durán, Secretary of Urban Development of the city of Tampico, a way to rescue nearby Isleta Pérez would be the construction of casinos, which can be combined with hotels, restaurants and a marina. Isleta Pérez has been selected as a strategic location for the new plan because it is five minutes away with the centre and could be an arrival point for tourists arriving by boat. At the moment the island is all but abandoned apart from a number of small manufacturing businesses.

“The casinos that work in the metropolitan area are customised spaces and it is desirable that the projects arise from scratch and are confined to a point like the Isleta,” said the official. The plan would be developed after the approval of the Partial Urban Planning and Development Program of the Historic Centre and Laguna del Carpintero, an urban renewal programme scheduled for the area.

The project includes the renovation of the Tampico market and historic buildings, which is why both medium and long-term remodelling plans are now under consideration, according to Rosa Duran.

Tampico is the fifth-largest city in Tamaulipas, with a population of 314,000 in the city proper and 929,000 in the metropolitan area. The city located on the southern Texas border used to be a popular tourist destination especially with spring breakers but it has fallen on hard times lately due to a rise in gang related violence. Thousands of have moved, and many local businesses have closed especially in the downtown historical district. Drug-related violence is a particular problem. In August officials in both the United States and Mexico urged Americans not to travel to the state.