The Roosevelt Roads Legal Reuse Authority, Autoridad para el Redesarrollo Local para Roosevelt Roads, recently prepared and published an Addendum to the 2004 Reuse Plan to serve as a supplemental update to reflect market changes and economic development enhancements. Building on the factual inventory and assessment of the 2004 plan, the Addendum sets forth an enhanced vision and related program derived from further site due diligence, community input and creative physical and market study. The Addendum is not intended to replace the 2004 Plan, but rather supplement and redirect the focus of development planned to better leverage site opportunities, current market potentials and strategic economic development opportunities. The Addendum should be considered in conjunction with the background provided by the 2004 Reuse Plan and the extensive documentation contained in that plan related to existing conditions, infrastructure and building inventory. Together with the Addendum, the Reuse Plan reflects a bold vision for the strategic redevelopment of the entire Roosevelt Roads property to maximize its inherent value and to create lasting local, regional and Commonwealth-wide economic development.

Closure of the Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico (“Roosevelt Roads”) on March 31, 2004 created sudden and severe economic hardship to both the local communities and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (“Commonwealth”). While a reuse plan prepared by the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce in December 2004 presented a collection of various program uses to help guide the redevelopment of the physical asset, the 2004 Reuse Plan did not craft a true strategic vision of how to best leverage the unique and significant characteristics of the 8,000 acre property to serve as a “game changer” for Commonwealth tourism, economic expansion, job creation and local community initiatives. Equally important, many of the land uses cited in the 2004 Reuse Plan required significant government investment and economic stimulation to execute before private investment was attracted. With no self-sustaining destination attraction to bring private developers and investors, and to justify and offset the necessary infrastructure investment, the 2004 Reuse Plan did not provide a viable mechanism for realization.

Since then, the local and global economies have only worsened, making the need for a rigorous, strategic vision even more demanding. The Governor’s proposal for the Caribbean Riviera Initiative, initially presented at the 2009 Economic summit, is merely one of several anchors, or “invitations” in that strategic vision which must address the entire property, as well as the connectivity and linkage with the neighboring communities. When examined from the perspective of the best use of the former naval base property and resources, Roosevelt Roads unveils an exciting, dynamic and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Commonwealth to craft a vision which serves to:

• Create value by understanding, analyzing and leveraging the inherent
amenities of a lush, diverse, beautiful and well-situated real estate asset,
rather than merely proposing a menu of disparate land uses;

• Increase overall visitation to the Commonwealth (and extend length of existing visits) and re-energize as a catalyst for an island-wide regional planning strategy to enhance the position of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean and world marketplace;

• Create an economic development “game-changer” which serves to define and leverage markets rather than merely follow trends.

To that end, the Roosevelt Roads Local Redevelopment Authority (“LRA”) has chosen to supplement the 2004 Reuse Plan in a manner that strengthens its economic feasibility and enhances its overall character and attraction as a bold and credible initiative to be realized.

Implemented properly, this addendum to the 2004 Reuse Plan (“Addendum”) anticipates significant positive economic impact for the adjoining communities of Ceiba and Naguabo, the nearby island communities of Vieques and Culebra, the region, and with regard to enhanced competitiveness in the varied tourism markets – the entire Commonwealth. The Addendum recognizes the present challenges in the various development market sectors and approaches implementation with a market-making strategy rather than a market-following strategy.

The economic and fiscal impact of the redevelopment could be significant. In the first 20 – 25 years, the construction phase of the reuse of Roosevelt Roads will produce 21,000 direct jobs. When considering the multiplier effect, 29,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs will be created in this phase. Fiscal impacts resulting from the increased economic activity will reach $280 million from the construction and $660 million from the operation during the first 20 -25 years.

Paramount in this is the potential for the redevelopment of Roosevelt Roads to significantly enhance and increase annual Puerto Rican tourism visitation number by bringing some 1 million unique visitors annually to the Roosevelt Road by year 20. That impact will result in a much enhanced competitive position for Puerto Rico and all of its communities, attractions, destinations
and amenities – with more visitors, extended lengths of stay, increased convention/meeting business, greater demand for dining, shopping and recreation, and the ability to truly become the Caribbean business and leisure destination.

The proximity of the property to the El Yunque National Forest is a significant inherent asset to be leveraged in achieving a positive impact for the overall tourism attraction of the Commonwealth. With its 1.2 million annual visitors, El Yunque is already Puerto Rico’s signature, natural destination attraction, unique as the United States’ only tropical rainforest. The potential of adding the US National Park Service brand to El Yunque in some fashion would further enhance its national and international tourism appeal, and create for the Commonwealth a potential destination on par with some the US’s great national parks and forests, like Yellowstone. The US national park concept is often acclaimed as one of the best ideas ever exported and adopted by many foreign countries over the years.

Click here to download the Roosevelt Roads Redevelopment Addendum to the 2004 Reuse Plan.