The Normandie Hotel should be imploded

“If Puerto Rico is never going to allow the Normandie to be reborn, then perhaps we should stop pretending that it will,” contributing columnist Robert Gevinski writes. (Javier Rodríguez Galarza)

By ROBERT GEVINSKI

Special to The STAR

Yes, I said it.

The Normandie Hotel should be imploded.

For many Puerto Ricans, those words border on blasphemy. The Normandie is one of San Juan’s most recognizable landmarks. Its iconic art deco design, shaped like the bow of an ocean liner, has welcomed generations of visitors entering Old San Juan. Many of us have stayed there, celebrated there, or simply admired its silhouette along the waterfront. I count myself among those who would rather preserve historic buildings than demolish them. In fact, I have spent years advocating for the restoration of Puerto Rico’s architectural heritage. Once these buildings disappear, they are gone forever.

But after more than 20 years of abandonment, I have reached an uncomfortable conclusion. If Puerto Rico is never going to allow the Normandie to be reborn, then perhaps we should stop pretending that it will. The obstacle is no longer engineering. It isn’t architecture, either. It isn’t even money. The obstacle is that we continue to frame the conversation around one thing: parking.

For years, debate over the Normandie has revolved around where cars will go. Should adjacent public land be used? Should a garage be public or private? Should it be underground? How many spaces are enough? While those arguments continue, the building continues to decay. Salt air never sleeps, and constantly corrodes steel and concrete, while every hurricane leaves another mark. The longer we postpone a decision, the more likely it becomes that restoration will no longer be economically or structurally feasible. And dare we even mention that this hotel used to run with the same parking area it has today?

What makes this particularly frustrating is that the Normandie’s greatest asset is precisely what makes parking less important. It sits between Old San Juan and Condado, beside the Playa Escambrón, in one of the most walkable locations in Puerto Rico. When I travel to cities such as Boston, Chicago, London, Paris, Copenhagen or New York, I park my car in the same exact location -- nowhere. I don’t spend my vacation wondering where to park because I don’t need to rent a car. I walk, ride public transit, take taxis or rideshares, rent bicycles, and enjoy the city as it was designed to be experienced. Urban hotels around the world succeed because they are part of the city, not because they are surrounded by parking lots. And if San Juan is truly a city, it should be the same here.

Why should the Normandie be any different? Most of its guests would arrive from the airport by taxi or rideshare. From there, they would spend their time walking through Old San Juan, visiting museums, restaurants, beaches and historic sites, or using the same transportation options that millions of urban travelers already use elsewhere.

Even the question of employee parking reflects an outdated way of thinking. Instead of spending tens of millions of dollars building parking garages, what if we invested more in wages, transit, cycling infrastructure, or housing nearby? Puerto de Tierra has enormous potential to become a vibrant residential neighborhood again. If more people lived within walking or cycling distance of their jobs, the city would gain residents instead of more concrete devoted to storing automobiles.

We constantly hear the overused business cliche about «thinking outside the box.» Puerto Rico needs something different. We need to think “outside the car.” That single change in perspective transforms the conversation. Instead of asking, «Where will everyone park?» we should be asking, «How will people move?» Those are fundamentally different questions. One designs cities for automobiles. The other designs cities for human beings.

The tragedy is that this debate is no longer just about the Normandie. It has become another example of Puerto Rico’s inability to make difficult decisions because every major project eventually becomes a debate over cars. Meanwhile, one of the island’s most recognizable buildings continues to deteriorate while everyone insists they want to save it. I hope someone proves me wrong tomorrow. I hope a restoration plan finally emerges that puts people ahead of parking, preserves this architectural icon, and returns it to the skyline where it belongs. Nothing would make me happier.

But if we are going to spend another decade arguing while the building slowly dies, then let’s stop pretending we’re preserving history. Let’s admit that indecision has already become our decision.

And if that’s truly the future we’ve chosen, then the headline writes itself:

The Normandie Hotel should be imploded.

Robert Gevinski is a resident of San Juan and Vieques, founder of Paraiso Realty, and a real estate professional. He has served on the board of directors of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association as well as the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust, with an interest in economic development and sustainability.