Solarium Project Moving Ahead in Guanacaste, Hospital Ready This Year
Construction of the Edica complex across from the Daniel Oduber International airport in Liberia is moving at a firm pace. The complex will have a hotel, two banking centres, offices, and a hospital with a heliport, all at a cost of some us$300 million dollars.

The project is called "Solarium" and is being built on 104 hectares of land, that will include a "zona franca" (free trade zone), warehouses, a gasoline station and 800 condominiums. The project is being built by the construction company Edica.

"Guanacaste is developing as an area for recreational tourism, however, we have not overlooked the need for services. With this project we want to offer health and business services", said Silvana Batalla, director of Solarium.

Batalla added that the project, waiting on the infrastructure to catch up, will be finished within six years. However, some of the seven stages of the project will be ready by the end of 2007.

"Construction on the 'ofibodegas' (office/warehouses) began last year and should be ready by September, as well the construction of the hospital will begin in February and is expected to be open by December", said Batalla.

According to the director, Solarium will create some 15.000 direct jobs in the area. "Guanacastecos have to prepare themselves for this growth", commented Batalla.

Residents and organizations of the area where the "new city" is being built will have to prepare themselves fro the challenges ahead in the face of this development.

"The need to widen the road in front of the airport and the need to increase services that a predominantly foreign population will require will be our primarily concern" assured Mauricio Céspedes, director of the Cámara Guanacasteca de Turismo (Guanacaste chamber of tourism).

Gadi Amith, member of the Federación para la Conservación del Ambiente (environmental conservation federation) expressed concern over the possible lack of potable water for the area due to the size of the project.

However, Batalla indicated that the developers have looked at all these things, including the project having three wells to service the needs of the development.

For his part, Ricardo Samper, mayor of Liberia, said he is not concerned over the demand for services, saying that the developers have planned for them and that the development will be a boom to the commercial sector in the area.