RRNS 2.0

“The closure and transfer of the lands of Roosevelt Roads, has long presented an untapped potential of a scale and scope that could undoubtedly reshape the economic and social reality of the municipalities of the Eastern Region, the Island-Municipalities, and more broadly, Puerto Rico”

Following the Local Redevelopment Authority’s initiative of proposing this vast site as a mixed-use world-class destination, the development party is determined and convinced that they can materialize and propel such a future, not only by providing the capital investment necessary to do so, but by thoughtfully conceiving the physical reality that will give way to the rebirth of the Caribbean’s most valuable property.

To that effect, the proposed scope of the master development, acknowledges not only the vast economic and real estate potential of these individual sites, but more importantly, the synergetic potential of these zones, as a whole, when finally renewed and activated. In a similar condition to that enjoyed by the former naval base, the myriad natural resources and infrastructural assets can allow Roosevelt Roads to exist in virtual self-sufficiency, while simultaneously supplying the region and its periphery with a new economic, social, and cultural center.

The prompt development of the former naval base all but guarantees a robust socioeconomic jumpstart for the region and Puerto Rico. To this effect, the proposal conceives and articulates an array of residential, hospitality, touristic, commercial, recreational, cultural, yachting, and industrial projects.

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ZONE A - URBAN CORRIDOR

Roosevelt Roads Redevelopment Proposal Master Plan

Zone A (“Urban Corridor”) is proposed as the central urban development of the project, crucial to the long-term success of the naval base redevelopment due to the disposition and consolidation of the most programmatic diversity.

Overriding the original suburban planning of the military base, the high-density development put forth by this scheme wishes to concentrate the activity and investment efforts into a vibrant destination and home for thousands of local residents and visitors. This intentionally marked parting from the planning philosophies that have enacted myriad low-density developments and suburban sprawl for decades in Puerto Rico is rooted on several proven and effective planning principles:

1. High-density planning provides a more sustainable framework thanks to the considered and limited use of land and natural resources, cost-effective infrastructural investment, and the viability it presents to alternative modes of transportation.

2. Higher density development helps attract employers to a large workforce base, benefitting from the proximity to this workforce and the diversity of jobs that an urban environment hosts.

3. The lifestyle benefits of high-density communities have been shown to drive up their market value. In addition, the strong sense of community paired with the available neighborhood amenities mean that density and diversity can add value of their own.

4. These denser environments also promote and improve social equity by providing opportunities and a shared social space for groups in all economic levels. Furthermore, societal analyses of mixed-use compact developments note significantly higher patterns of cultural growth, diversity, and social cohesion.

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ZONE B - MARINE CORRIDOR

Focused on an industry almost synonymous to tropical settings – yachting, Zone B (the “Marine Corridor”) proudly hosts a wide array of touristic, commercial, residential, and hospitality facilities that will guarantee a robust kick-start to the entire master development. Taking advantage of Roosevelt Road’s maritime accessibility, and its vast offer of attractive natural resources, the base is an ideal candidate for a development that can not only support, but augment the Eastern Region’s inventory of yachting facilities and destinations.

The main anchor programs of the Marine Corridor also define its subzones:

1. Branching from the Coast Guard Pier is the Mega-Yacht Marina, with a proposed capacity for 100 yachts

2. In the location of the former PX and adjacent buildings, is the Mixed-Use Complex, which is envisioned to become the zone’s center of activity and convergence.

3. In the commercial marina, a new indoor drystack storage facility is proposed to increase the boat storage capacity of the future development, as well as promote the visit and tenancy of boat-owners around the Island.

Given that these proposals will be sited in previously occupied lots, and the mixed-use principles for design reduce the amount of sprawl necessary to satisfy the required areas, this master plan guarantees an ecologically responsive development that not only benefits from the beauty of its natural context but, most importantly, accommodates to it.

With the construction of the aforementioned projects, the main and ultimate goal for the ‘Marine Corridor’, is to create in Ceiba a yachting hub of a quality and convenience unseen in the rest of the Caribbean, that instead of cannibalizing on the existing marine and yachting facilities in Puerto Rico, will bolster the Island’s capacity to attract mega-yacht owners and tourists that currently take to the US and British Islands for leisure and investment. When Zone B is completed, nowhere else in the Caribbean will these individuals find a world-class facility that offers the unrivaled combination and proximity to: a mega-yacht marina, an adjacent airport, a state-of-the-art shipyard, and a multiplicity of touristic and cultural destinations in the waterfront city.