Vieques requests transfer of Fortín Conde de Mirasol administration to ICP

By THE STAR STAFF

The offshore island municipality of Vieques is seeking to sign an administrative agreement with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP by its initials in Spanish) to operate the historic Fortín Conde de Mirasol, the last fort built by Spain in the Americas, and Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez seeks to make it a reality.

“The municipality of Vieques is interested in managing the Fortín Conde de Mirasol, turning it into a tourist attraction to promote history, culture and economic development. From the House of Representatives we support the initiative of the mayor, José “Junito” Corcino, and we are going to assist in it,” Méndez Nuñez said after concluding a meeting with the mayor and ICP Executive Director Melissa Santana in relation to the Fortín’s operation.

The ICP director said the request will be evaluated once the reconstruction of the Fortín’s roof is concluded.

“Our municipal administration is very interested in being able to operate the Fortín because we believe that it has enormous historical and economic potential,” Corcino said.

The ICP received the design for the restoration of the Fortín roof and bidding on the work is expected to begin soon. The reconstruction of the structure is unique because, due to its designation as a historic building, materials consonant with the time of construction must be used.

The Fortín Conde de Mirasol, built in 1845, received a refurbishment in 1991. The structure was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria in September 2017, while Hurricane Ernesto in 2024 destroyed part of the roof.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency allocated about $1 million to repair the damage caused in 2017.