Mayor Nazario outlines Loíza’s roadmap for 2026

Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes, Vice Mayor Luis Rafael Ortiz Escobar, and Municipal Legislature President Attorney Joel Osorio Chiclana.

By THE STAR STAFF

Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes presented an overview this week of the municipal administration’s ongoing and upcoming projects, outlining a comprehensive agenda focused on infrastructure improvements, community development, and economic growth as the municipality looks ahead to 2026.

“We begin this new year with renewed energy, and it is important to us that residents are fully informed about the municipal projects currently underway at different stages of execution, as well as those involving state agencies and others that remain pending determination,” the mayor said.

Several recreational facilities are currently under construction, including the El Cabo Community Court, the Miñi-Miñi Community Court, and the Miñi-Miñi Baseball Park. Other projects have completed the design phase and are expected to begin construction before April. They include City Hall, which is in its final design stage, and the Don Ricardo Sanjurjo de Jesús Public Plaza, which is undergoing a redesign supported by new funding.

Additional projects in the design phase include the Old City Hall, the Public Records Building and the Carlos Escobar López Municipal Government Center. The complex includes renovations to the sports court, windows, short columns, cafeteria, and the construction of a new community-use structure, funded through Federal Emergency Management Agency and mitigation funds.

The municipal government is also working on improvements to the Parcelas Suárez Court and Baseball Park, the Piñones Court, a walking track, and additional repairs at María de la Cruz Cave Historical Park. Street repaving in the Las Cuevas sector is also part of the municipal agenda.

In the Torrecilla Baja area, the administration has scheduled the repaving of several streets in the Piñones community, along with the reconstruction of the community court roof. Efforts are also underway to reopen the public library and the Emergency Management Office in the La Torre sector.

Infrastructure improvements continue in Villas de Loíza, where street repaving began in November 2025 and plans are in place for the construction of a community center. The first phase of repairs to Calle 2 remains pending and will be funded through allocations secured by Sen. Héctor Joaquín Sánchez Álvarez. Due to the scale of the project, estimated at nearly $400,000, the work will be completed in phases and will include protective legislation for sidewalks, drainage systems and pavement. The first phase is expected to begin in late January.

Revitalization of the historic urban center is another cornerstone of the municipal plan. This includes the complete reconstruction of Adolfina Villanueva Avenue, from the Villa Cañona traffic light to the intersection with PR-951. The project also encompasses the paving and construction of sidewalks along San Patricio Street, Espíritu Santo Street, and all connecting roads, incorporating designated bicycle lanes.

Plans also call for the development of a Central Park at the former Children’s Park site, including the channeling of a nearby canal to prevent continued erosion affecting adjacent homes. The creation of Maturí Park as a family recreation space is also proposed, along with new signage for historic buildings such as the Old Butcher Shop and educational institutions including Jobos Virtuoso Rivera García School and Eladio Rivera Vocational High School.

Economic development initiatives play a central role in the mayor’s vision, particularly the long-anticipated Hotel School project.

“This is a project we have been supporting for six years, and all of the effort has focused on feasibility studies,” Nazario Fuentes said. “This is my great dream, and you will see it come to fruition, along with the red snapper fish farming project in Loíza. The former fish market has already been demolished, paving the way for the next phases of this initiative.”

Additionally, the municipality is developing a kayaking initiative for the Julia de Burgos Promenade.

Other initiatives include projects managed by the Office of Socioeconomic and Community Development, such as improvements to the El Ceiba Community Park and Court, the Pueblo del Niño Community Court, the Pompeya Community Court, and the Piñones Center. The Department of Recreation and Sports is overseeing projects at the Vieques Community Park and courts in Jardines and La Torre, while the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources continues work on the Piñones Boardwalk and Forest, as well as the La Pocita kiosks.

“We will continue knocking on doors to secure a comprehensive mitigation project to address coastal erosion, repave Highway PR-187 from the Boca de Cangrejo Bridge to the Herrera Bridge, and generate alternatives to save our beautiful Vacía Talega beach,” the mayor stated.

Special municipal initiatives include a meal delivery service for seniors in need and the strengthening of the recycling program through an agreement to establish a permanent packaging facility. A pilot recycling project is also scheduled to begin in the El Cabo community.

“In this case, the federal census recorded 36 families that will participate in this project, and we can expand it exponentially,” the mayor said. “Additionally, on another very important matter, we have already signed a collaborative agreement between the municipality of Loíza and five other municipalities to establish a facility that will provide quality of life for abandoned animals. We will share details on how this much-needed project for Loíza and all of Puerto Rico will operate.”

“We are ready to continue working with local and federal agencies, the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and churches in the development of our town,” Nazario Fuentes said.