Read the ordinance (leaked copy)Letter to the U.S. Dept. of the Interior

Municipal alert

Ordenanza Núm. 55

Ordinance No. 55, Series 2025-2026: the measure that would hand over part of El Escambrón to a private company for up to 90 years. Pushed by the administration of Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo (PNP), it would grant a surface right with no public bidding process to Smart Parking System, LLC, to build a 950-space multi-level parking structure on Parque del Tercer Milenio land, facing Escambrón beach.

950

Proposed spaces

up to 90 yrs

Length of surface right

$22M

Estimated private investment

What Ordinance 55 would do

Hand over public land with no bidding process

It would grant a private company, Smart Parking System, a surface right of up to 90 years (60 initial plus a 30-year renewal) over Parque del Tercer Milenio land, with no competitive bidding process.

Build a parking structure with no public studies or design

No traffic or feasibility studies are publicly available, and the Municipality has not released a concrete design of the structure it plans to build.

Put a high-risk coastal area at stake

The Municipality's own 2021 Mitigation Plan identifies the area as vulnerable to storm surge, flooding, earthquakes, and tsunamis, and the site may be protected under federal land and water conservation funding.

Serve a private hotel project, not the public

The parking is meant to satisfy the parking requirements of the Hotel Normandie developers (Compañía Normandie OZ, LLC). It traces back to Ordinance No. 5, Series 2022-2023, which leased adjacent municipal land for the hotel's restoration without public hearings. In effect, public coastal land would underwrite a private development.

Why El Escambrón matters

One of the few public beach accesses San Juan has left

Parque del Tercer Milenio and Escambrón beach have served for decades as free public recreation space for residents of Puerta de Tierra, Old San Juan, and the wider metro area. Part of the site received federal land and water conservation funding, which restricts changes in use. Putting that access at risk for nearly a century, without a public bid or public studies, would jeopardize a natural and recreational resource that isn't easily recovered.

“Urban planners and community groups warn that a structure of this scale would exceed the site's physical capacity, worsen heat and traffic at the entrance to the San Juan islet, and put the area's coastal biodiversity at risk.”
— Summary of concerns raised by Escambrón Unido and Pedro Cardona Roig (El Urbanista)

Who opposes it

Escambrón UnidoSierra Club Puerto RicoPPD · Ingrid Colberg RodríguezMovimiento Victoria Ciudadana (MVC)Pedro Cardona Roig (El Urbanista)Planning students, UPR-Río PiedrasResidents of Puerta de Tierra and Old San JuanAmong others

Now in session, and deliberating behind closed doors

The only public hearing was held on July 29, 2026, after nearly six hours of testimony, and written testimony closed on July 30. The Municipal Legislature resumed sessions on August 17, but Ordinance 55 is being deliberated in executive (closed) session, and on August 13 its president warned minority legislators against disclosing what is discussed there. Public pressure needs to continue now.

Process timeline

Jun 26, 2026Rep. Ingrid Colberg requests maps, traffic studies, and project terms; the Municipality does not hand them over

Jun 29, 2026Escambrón Unido denounces an attempt to approve the ordinance without public hearings

Jun 30, 2026The measure is pulled from the agenda after public pressure

Jul 6, 2026Colberg sends a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior citing federal protections over El Escambrón

Jul 25, 2026The Municipality announces a single public hearing for July 29

Jul 29, 2026Nearly six-hour public hearing; protesters gather outside City Hall

Jul 30, 2026Deadline closes for written testimony

Aug 13, 2026The Legislature president warns MVC minority legislators over disclosing what's said in executive sessions; MVC denounces an attempt to silence oversight

Aug 17, 2026The Municipal Legislature resumes sessions, with Ordinance 55 handled in executive (closed) session

What does this mean?

The municipal administration already tried to approve the ordinance without public hearings and had to back off under public pressure. Now sessions have resumed and the measure is being deliberated in executive (closed) session, so it could advance with little public discussion; the Legislature's leadership has even warned minority legislators against reporting what is said there. Rep. Colberg's request for federal intervention, combined with sustained public pressure, is what has held the process back so far. Your message can help keep that going.

We already showed up

“Protesters gathered outside the public hearing”

July 29, 2026
Nearly 6-hour public hearing
San Juan City Hall

Residents of Puerta de Tierra, members of Escambrón Unido, and other community groups protested outside City Hall while the ordinance was being discussed inside, saying the proposal would turn a beach area into a commercial zone and limit public beach access.

Read the full article →

Add your voice

Before the Municipal Legislature reconvenes on August 17, let them know where you stand, and back Rep. Ingrid Colberg's request for federal intervention from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Correspondence about Ordinance 55 has been routed through the Municipal Legislature's office at: mesantiago@sanjuan.pr

Your information

Email preview

Dear San Juan Municipal Legislature, My name is [Your name] I am writing to oppose Ordinance No. 55, Series 2025-2026. This measure would grant a private company a surface right of up to 90 years over Parque del Tercer Milenio land, with no public bidding process, no publicly available traffic or feasibility studies, and no concrete design of the proposed structure. The area is identified as vulnerable to storm surge, flooding, earthquakes, and tsunamis, and may be protected under federal land and water conservation funding. I am also concerned that Ordinance 55 is being deliberated in executive (closed) session: a decision about public coastal land should be debated in the open, not behind closed doors. I support Rep. Ingrid Colberg's request for intervention from the U.S. Department of the Interior, and I ask the Municipal Legislature to deliberate this ordinance in public and to require full transparency and a competitive public bidding process before any vote. Sincerely, [Your name]