By The Star Staff
The island House of Representatives approved House Concurrent Resolution (HCC) 075 on Wednesday, which transfers to the Municipality of Aguadilla the property and facilities of the Parque Colón de Aguadilla.
Parque Colón is currently attached to the commonwealth Department of Recreation and Sports.
“Parque Colón is a place with a lot of history, which has been fundamental in the lives of our citizens,” Aguadilla Mayor Julio Roldán Concepción said in a press release. “The iconic, ‘tree house rehabilitation’ is the main attraction of this park, for which it is recognized and for which it has been part of thousands of family stories for Aguadillanos and Puerto Ricans. The fact that we are advancing in the transfer is a positive step for its recovery.”
The mayor said that for many years, the Municipality of Aguadilla has worked to ensure an allocation of $6.3 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for the comprehensive remodeling of Parque Colón.
“We have managed and been allocated more than $6 million to bring this iconic venue into the 21st century era,” Roldán Concepción said. “This project not only represents an investment in infrastructure, but also ends a long controversy of more than 100 years over the jurisdiction of this historic park. Today, we celebrate a momentous day by expanding the territorial boundaries of our beloved city of Aguadilla.”
The approval of HCC 075 will make it possible to turn Parque Colón into one of international caliber, the mayor noted, and will allow it to become, not only a recreation center, but also to host sports, recreational and youth ball events, along with artistic and cultural events, and many other activities that will enrich the quality of life and socioeconomic development of the area.
“I thank Rep. Wilson Román for his support and commitment in leading this project,” Roldán Concepción said. “I also thank the Speaker of the House, Rafael Hernández Montañez, for joining this cause and all the Representatives who voted in favor of it. I hope that the project will have the same fate in the Senate of Puerto Rico.”