Environmental group warns of impact from 3 proposed luxury mega‑hotels in Loíza

Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes

By THE STAR STAFF

The environmental organization Amigxs del Mar issued a warning Monday about the potential environmental and community impact of three luxury mega‑hotel projects proposed for development in Loíza, arguing that the large‑scale construction threatens fragile coastal ecosystems and could displace long‑standing residents.

The projects -- Loíza Ocean, Loíza Piñones and Loíza River City -- are part of the Puerto Rico 230 initiative led by Ora World, a company seeking to build more than 10 mega hotels across Puerto Rico. Amigxs del Mar spokesperson Gabriela Vélez said the developments are tied to U.S. cardiologist and philanthropist John Sancan Nelson, who, she said, has created separate corporations for each proposed site.

“... For each of the 12 locations they want to build in Puerto Rico, they create a new corporation,” Vélez said. “We’ve already identified many of those corporations linked to him.”

She added that Loíza Ocean already has an approved coastal boundary (“deslinde” in Spanish) and Loíza Piñones has an approved permit.

Developers intend for the three structures to be interconnected and to include attractions such as a zipline and a helipad. Vélez emphasized that the scale of the projects threatens several community response centers in the area and could intensify pressure on coastal resources.

As part of its advocacy efforts, Amigxs del Mar created the Puerto Rico Coastal Map, a digital tool designed to highlight hotel developments that the group says pose risks to the island’s coastal zones.

Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes publicly opposed the Ora World proposals, noting that one of the projects could displace residents who have lived in the area for decades.

“We will not endorse any project that is not aligned with our natural environment, with the idiosyncrasies of a coastal town, or that continues to damage our beaches,” she said. “We will not support any project that is not ecological and environmentally friendly.”

The projects remain under evaluation as environmental groups and community organizations call for greater transparency and public participation in the permitting process.