Daily Real Estate News | October 24, 2008
Existing-home sales increased last month as buyers responded to improved housing affordability conditions, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 5.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.18 million units in September from a level of 4.91 million in August. Home sales are 1.4 percent higher than the 5.11 million-unit pace in September 2007.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said more markets are seeing year-over-year gains.
“The sales turnaround which began in California several months ago is broadening now to Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Rhode Island,” he says. “The South was hampered by much lower home sales in Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.”
NAR President Richard F. Gaylord says low home prices and low interest rates have helped attract buyers.
“This is the first time since November 2005 that home sales have been above year-ago levels,” Gaylord says. “Credit tightened at the end of September, but the improvement demonstrates that buyers who’ve been on the sidelines want to get into the market to make a long-term investment in their future.”
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.04 percent in September from 6.48 percent in August; the rate was 6.38 percent in September 2007.
Yun says there may still be market disruptions.
“The credit markets are not settled yet, although the mortgage market stabilized with the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," Yun says. "Inventory remains high, and price declines are pressuring owners."
Yun says that an additional housing stimulus would stabilize prices more quickly and help bring faster stability to Wall Street.
"Removing the repayment feature on the [$7,500] first-time buyer tax credit and permanently raising loan limits would bring more buyers into the market and further reduce inventory,” Yun says.
A Closer Look at the Numbers
- Total housing inventory: at the end of September fell 1.6 percent to 4.27 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.9-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a 10.6-month supply in August. This marks two consecutive monthly declines since inventories peaked in July.
- National median existing-home price: $191,600 in September, for all housing types. That's down 9 percent from a year ago when the median was $210,500.
“Compared to a fairly small share of foreclosures or short sales a year ago, distressed sales are currently 35 to 40 percent of transactions," Yun says. "These are pulling the median price down because many are being sold at discounted prices. The current market is not being dominated by speculative investors. Rather, 80 percent of current buyers are purchasing a primary residence, which is a bit higher than historic norms.”- Single-family home sales: increased 6.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.62 million in September from a pace of 4.35 million in August, and are 3.8 percent above the 4.45 million-unit level a year ago. The median existing single-family home price was $190,600 in September, which is 8.6 percent below September 2007.
- Existing condominium and co-op sales: were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 560,000 units in September, but are 15.7 percent below the 664,000-unit pace in September 2007. The median existing condo price was $199,400 in September, down 10.2 percent from a year ago.
By RegionHere's a breakdown across the country of existing-home in September: - West: sting-home sales in the West jumped 16.8 percent to an annual rate of 1.25 million in September, and are 34.4 percent higher than September 2007. Median price: $253,600, down 18.5 percent from a year ago.
- Midwest: sales increased 4.4 percent to an annual pace of 1.19 million in September, but are 2.5 percent below a year ago. Median price: $152,500, which is 7.9 percent lower than September 2007.
- South: sales rose 2.2 percent in September to a pace of 1.9 million but remain 7.8 percent below September 2007. Median price:$167,200, down 4.1 percent from a year ago.
- Northeast: sales slipped 1.2 percent to an annual pace of 840,000 in September, and are 7.7 percent lower than a year ago. Median price: $246,800, down 5.4 percent from September 2007.
Source: NAR
Thank you for reading my blog
Gustavo Torres
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252
David Schwartz, ConfiCasa’s Puerto Vallarta Division Director, Tina M. Rebello, ConfiCasa’s Los Cabos Division Director, and Matthew A. Miller, ConfiCasa’s President and CEO contributed to this article.
Times are tough now-a-days - stock markets are in frenzy, housing markets are unpredictable, the U.S. dollar is weakened, and an overall lack of consumer confidence continues to arise even with the latest U.S. government and worldwide intervention in motion.
The first question is how we got in this mess
The next question that does not make the daily news in the U.S., but is of course a big concern for all of us, is whether the now popular vehicle of cross-border Mexico mortgage financing will be affected by the U.S. turmoil
Both of these important questions are addressed in ConfiCasa's October 2008 Newsletter, which may be read by pressing here.
Gustavo Torres
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252
Filed under: Real Estate, Market Conditions, Finances, Buyer Information, Community Information, baja california, baja, Rosarito, american expatriates, Baja´s trips, Mexico investment, American retirement, Canadian retirement, Mexico economy
Mexico's President Unveils Emergency Spending Program To Combat Financial Crisis
MEXICO CITY, Oct. 15, 2008
AP) President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday unveiled plans for 53 billion pesos ($4.4 billion) in emergency spending on roads, schools, hospitals and an oil refinery next year to help Mexico combat the world financial crisis.
In a televised address, Calderon assured Mexicans the nation's banks are solid and haven't slowed lending to companies or individuals, despite a global credit crunch that has sent stocks here tumbling and seen the peso weaken to a record low against the dollar.
The $4.4 billion in additional investment for 2009 would be used "to build infrastructure projects that will bring direct social benefits to millions of Mexicans and help keep our economy on track," Calderon said.
The proposal, which was sent to Congress on Wednesday, "is not a financial rescue package, but will focus on strengthening the motors of our economy" to mitigate the negative effects of the crisis, he said.
The proposal includes 10 billion pesos ($837 million) for energy projects, including a new oil refinery. The refinery will be the first built in almost 30 years, he said.
The plan calls for spending 26 billion pesos ($2 billion) on building roads, houses, schools and prisons. It also would support small- and medium-sized businesses by expanding their credit and allowing them to bid in government projects.
Calderon said Mexico faces a 28 billion pesos ($2.3 billion) decrease in public income next year due to a drop in remittances, falling oil prices and a slowdown in tourism.
The emergency spending would be financed by changing Pemex's accounting rules, which if approved by Congress, would give the federal government an extra 78 billion pesos ($6.2 billion), he said.
Last month, the government sent Congress a $270 billion budget that assumed Mexican crude oil prices would average around $80 a barrel.
Oil income makes up about 40 percent of budgeted revenue.
Earlier Wednesday, Mexico's central bank moved to auction off $2.5 billion in reserves to prop up the struggling peso.
Bank of Mexico President Guillermo Ortiz said the bank received 59 bids of $1.7 billion. Of those, 31 were accepted for a total sale of $998 million. The bank will continue auctioning off the rest of the designated reserves on Thursday.
Ortiz said Mexican currency markets on Monday had fluctuations not seen since 1995, when the country was mired in its own banking crisis. But he emphasized that today, "Mexico's banking institutions are solid."
Wednesday's dollar auction came hours after the peso dropped below a record 14 to the U.S. dollar. It recovered to around 12 to the dollar after the bank's announcement, but was still down significantly since closing last week at 11.1 to the dollar.
If the peso falls more than 2 percent in value from the day before, the bank said it will auction off an additional $400 million more a day. Mexico's international reserves were at $84 billion on Friday.
Mexico's Treasury Department said in a statement late Wednesday it was lowering its 2008 economic growth outlook to 2 percent from 2.4 percent. It also revised its GDP growth forecast for 2009 from 3 to 1.8 percent.
Mexico's economy, long dependent on its northern neighbor, had weathered the global crisis relatively well until the peso's fall. The drop was the first strong sign that Mexico was in for a bumpy economic future.
GUSTAVO TORRES
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252
Author: Suzan Haskins
Friday, Sept. 12, 2008
Top dog. The big Kahuna. The hot tamale. Mexico has once again grabbed the golden ring and sits in the No. 1 spot on International Living’s Global Retirement Index.
I’m not surprised, of course. I’ve been extolling Mexico’s comforts and charms for some time.
And I’m not alone. More Americans and Canadian who have retired abroad have chosen Mexico…over every other country in the world.
Depending on where they settle, many are drawn by the incomparable weather, gorgeous scenery, and inexpensive lifestyle. Prices of everything are roughly one-third what they are in the U.S. and Canada. Housing styles range from basic to luxurious, and all are affordable on most retiree budgets.
But it’s more than that, of course. Mexico is like a giant pot of delicious stew—there’s a lot brewing and there’s something for almost everyone. Modern and traditional, rich and poor, pagan and pious, sweet and sour.
Sure, Mexico has its problems. Every place does. But the allure of its charms will cause you to ignore its blemishes. There are countless reasons for the attraction…many people are drawn by the low cost of living, but they stay because they fall in love with the colorful setting and the laidback lifestyle—and the Mexican people.
Mexicans, in general, are gentle, kind, soft spoken, and excruciatingly polite. They greet everyone with a hug or, for women, a kiss on the cheek. You rarely see children misbehaving or hear them crying. Even the dogs are friendly.
Mexicans are service oriented. Not in the terms of what “service” means to you, probably, but in the sense that they take pleasure in doing things for other people. The guy on the bicycle who parks in the middle of the block to sharpen knives, the young man who peddles cups of sweet corn or creamy custards from house to house, the policeman who stops traffic so you can cross the street, the woman who sells flowers in the little shop around the corner…it’s always service with a smile and a heartfelt thank you in Mexico.
If you need something, you can get it. Simple as that. You can go to a modern shopping mall. Or better, you can go to a local artisan. The pride of craftsmanship is alive and well here. Men pass the skills of carpentry, glass-blowing, upholstering, wood-carving, and a host of other traditional trades on to their sons. Mothers teach their daughters the art of cooking, sewing, weaving, pottery, and other time-honored crafts.
Three and four generations of family members often live under the same roof, in fact. They share meals and chores, happiness and sorrow. The elderly are honored for their contributions and their wisdom. Many Mexican families aren’t well off financially (although there’s a growing middle class), but they’re happy.
Workers often play their music as loudly as possible and sing at the top of their lungs. Mexico is not a quiet place, mind you. It’s a place where dilapidated Volkswagen bugs with loudspeakers blare the news of the political party they support or the products they’re selling to all within earshot. A place where fireworks go off at all hours of the night and day…set off by schools and churches for reasons apparent only to their members…or for no reason at all.
Mexico is a time warp where no one is in a rush and what doesn’t get accomplished today “might” get done tomorrow. Expats quickly learn that the word “mañana” is actually a euphemism for “whenever.” Instead, we’ve learned not too worry so much about “things” that “need to be done.” We shrug, take a seat, and put our feet up…
I can’t think of a better way…or a better place…to watch the world go by.
Regards,
Suzan Haskins
Your Latin America Insider, International Living
By Barnard R. Thompson
The Mexican government has announced a major new tourism development
that will stretch along the Pacific Ocean coast of southern Sinaloa –
a project that will ultimately be twice the size of Cancún. A master
planned tourist area to rival not just Cancún, but too the Riviera
Maya that runs along the shores of the Mexican Caribbean.
President Felipe Calderón, with officials from the Mexican
government's National Trust Fund for Tourism Development (Fondo
Nacional de Fomento al Turismo, or Fonatur), made the announcement at
the September 29 opening of the Fonatur sponsored Mexican Real Estate
and Tourism Investment Expo, in Mexico City.
Provisionally called the Pacific Coast Integrally Planned Center,
infrastructure work is scheduled to begin during the first half of
2009, with the final stage of the phased developments to be completed
by 2025. This in much the same way that other Fonatur master planned
seaside resorts, such as Cancún, Los Cabos, Ixtapa, Loreto and the
Bays of Huatulco, have been done.
The 5,884 acre [9.2 square miles] Pacific Coast CIP will be in the
midst of the Sinaloa National Wetlands, in part on the near 5,000
acre Rancho Las Cabras, owned by former Sinaloa governor Antonio
Toledo Corro. The area is 80 miles south of Mazatlán and west of the
Mexico Highway 15 town of Escuinapa, in the municipality of the same
name. On land between the Pacific Ocean and lagoons and marshes
known as the Laguna Agua Grande, the area will include 7.5 miles of
beaches between the villages of Isla del Bosque and Teacapán to the
south on the State of Nayarit border.
The coastal area is well known locally for its beauty and
tranquility. Slightly inland from the coast, the estuaries, lagoons
and mangrove stands are surrounded by palm and tropical flora filled
valleys, with a notable abundance of birds and migratory waterfowl.
Deer, mountain lions and peccary, among other animals, are found in
the area.
And fishing is big in the region, commercial fishing (and shrimp
farming), and of course sportfishing. Several species of protected
sea turtles come to area beaches, and at sea among the many species
found are billfish, humpback whales and white sharks.
Of historical significance, there are large oyster shell mounds near
Teacapán that experts say were harvested by indigenous peoples living
in the area as long as 4,000 years ago.
The investment by the Mexican government is to be around MX$5 billion
pesos [US$465 million as of September 29], according to President
Calderón (who made the announcement before the current worldwide
financial crises came to a head, and the anticipated cutbacks).
Calderón added that the aforementioned Mexican public sector
investment should spark another US$6.638 billion in private national
and international investments.
First stage construction costs will be some MX$1.5 billion [US$139
million as of 9/29], according to a Fonatur executive, that will be
applied to 988 acres. That first phase is scheduled for completion
in 2012.
The President went on to say that the mega-development will
ultimately create 78,000 direct and indirect jobs. He also said
estimates are that the Pacific Coast CIP will attract nearly 3
million tourists by the year 2025, and US$2.8 billion in foreign
exchange.
Once completed the overall complex is to include four golf courses;
two marinas for a total of 1,000 vessels; 44,200 hotel rooms (hotels,
condominiums, etc.); a five mile beachfront walk; and a light
railway. Plus the possibility of a new airport is in the offing (or
the small airport at Teacapán could be expanded).
Based on what has been learned from other CIPs, such as Cancún,
hotels will not be allowed right on the beach. The required buffer
zone will be 300 meters. Hotels will also have a maximum height
limit of four stories.
Urban zones and shopping areas will integrate open space shielded by
law against construction, as will cultural centers and convention
facilities.
Emphasis will be placed on nature and the environment, with 25
percent of the total 5,884 acres dedicated as natural protected
areas, acreage that must be devoid of development. Furthermore, 109
acres of the surrounding wetland environs will be kept intact.
Regarding the lagoon and marsh areas, visitors will be able to enjoy
ecotourism activities via a series of canals and pathways.
As well, Pacific Coast CIP developments will have to meet marine and
land area environmental standards and requisites that are included in
the 2006 Marine Ecological Ordinance of the Gulf of California
Program.
For workers, at least 5,000 homes will be built, along with schools,
hospitals and facilities for needed community services.
Water will be provided through three separate systems, wastewater
treatment plants will be built, and each hotel will have to install
not only rainwater catchment receptacles, but too separate systems
for rain and wastewater drainage and control.
On an interconnected regional basis, highway improvements are planned
for the stretch of Highway 15 from Mazatlán south to Tepic, Nayarit
(and on to Tequila and Guadalajara; or southwest to the Bahía de
Banderas-Compostela Tourist Corridor and Puerto Vallarta). Too, the
road inland from Mazatlán to Durango is to be improved, all arteries
that will give area visitors, among others, easier access to tourist
and cultural sites, neighboring cities, mountain regions,
archeological zones, and indigenous communities.
And finally, for ocean going visitors, the Pacific Coast CIP is to be
in harmony with Fonatur's Sea of Cortez Plan, the system of Transient
Marinas, and the so-called Nautical Staircase.
——————————
Barnard Thompson, editor of MexiData.info, has spent 50 years in
Mexico and Latin America, providing multinational clients with
actionable intelligence; country and political risk reporting and
analysis; and business, lobbying, and problem resolution services
GUSTAVO TORRES
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252
FREIGHT: Mexico has opened bidding on project that would siphon business from Long Beach, L.A.
By Kris Hanson, Staff writer
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LONG BEACH - Nearly a year after announcing an ambitious plan to tap into the booming flow of trade between the U.S. West Coast and Asia, Mexican authorities have renewed a push to build a massive container port in Baja California.
The $5 billion project, proposed for a natural deep-water harbor near the small west coast fishing village of Punta Colonet about 275 miles south of Los Angeles, may one day compete with Long Beach and Los Angeles for a share of containerized freight.
In August, the Mexican government opened bidding for private development of port terminals and docks, and completed land-use and right-of-way negotiations with landowners in the area. They've also surveyed rail routes leading to the U.S. Southwest, and have organized a consortium of legal experts to help swiftly navigate trade, property and customs regulations.
Then, on Oct. 7, Mexico's Consul General in Los Angeles, Juan Marcos Gutierrez, participated in a panel discussion with port officials from Long Beach and Los Angeles to discuss the effort, and will be meeting with top West Coast port officials again this week at a retreat in Manzanillo, Mexico.
"This is the most ambitious infrastructure project of our time," Gutierrez said during the forum at Cal State Dominguez Hills. "It's something that's needed not only for Mexico, but for the regional economy."
Mexico believes that a port in Colonet would create up to 58,000 permanent jobs in Mexico, help upgrade the country's railway system and would, in turn, provide a cheaper, more efficient freight movement system for U.S. consumers and retailers.
It's expected that more than 95 percent of goods shipped to a Colonet port would be bound for the U.S. market via railway and through border crossings in Yuma, Arizona and El Paso, Texas.
Union Pacific
, which controls an existing rail link along the Southwestern U.S. border, has been in talks with Mexico to participate in the project, but no deals have yet been signed.
As for marine terminal development and operation, at least one major international developer has expressed interest. Hutchinson Port Holdings, based in Hong Kong, is believed to be the project's most likely developer, but has yet to commit. Hutchinson could not be reached for comment, but Mexico is offering a 45-year terminal management concession to the highest bidder.
The Punta Colonet project, in the works for more than two years, seeks to capitalize on the estimated 30 million freight containers sent from Asia to North America annually - about 75 percent of which goes through ports in California, Washington and Oregon.
Port would serve U.S. market
Mexico's goal is to capture about 6 million containers annually at Punta Colonet, then ship them via rail to points within the U.S. Very little of the cargo would be destined for Mexico's domestic market, which is served primarily by ports in Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas.
The Baja port is the latest challenge to Long Beach-Los Angeles' longtime role as America's busiest and most lucrative seaport. The twin ports currently handle more than $350 billion worth of cargo annually, a figure representing about 30 percent of the nation's maritime trade worth.
Competition grows
The ports are already being challenged by a new container port in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, expansions in Tacoma, Washington and Oakland, California and a modernized Hampton Roads in southeast Virginia. In addition, the expansion of the Panama Canal - now under way - allows passage for larger container ships from Asia to ports in the Gulf.
But there remain cost and time-prohibitive barriers for sending Asia-originated freight through the Panama Canal. It takes an average 21 days to ship cargo from China to the U.S. East Coast, but only 12 to the West Coast. With high energy costs, the extra nine days at sea makes much such trade prohibitive.
By building an alternative western port and offering cheaper labor and less costly tariffs, Mexico hopes to lure shippers whose goods would have passed through California or the Panama Canal and destined for the American Midwest.
"The market we're (trying for) is east of the Rockies," said Gutierrez. "It's a share of that 45 percent or so of freight that (Long Beach-Los Angeles) carry that is headed inland."
Professor Kaye Bragg, a Cal State Dominguez Hills economics professor, said the Punta Colonet proposal only makes sense if projections of growth are on the mark. Based on 20-year trends, economists expect the volume of containerized goods between Asia and Long Beach-Los Angeles to surpass 36 million 24-equivalent containers, or TEUs, by 2020.
Therefore, if Punta Colonet siphons six million TEUs from Long Beach-Los Angeles, it represents only a share of future growth, and not a chunk of current volume - potentially making competition less hostile and more collaborative.
Don Snyder, the Long Beach port's trade relations director, said that although labor costs and regulatory pressures will likely be less in Mexico, developers will need to recoup their investment costs, which may drive up transportation and dockage prices to levels comparable in Southern California.
"Someone's going to have to amortize the cost of building that rail track, building those terminals, building the infrastructure," Snyder said. "When you add those costs in, plus the transportation costs of using U.S. rail inside the States, is there a great savings?"
Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero, who visits Mexico this week to discuss regional trade, says projects like Punta Colonet represent the competitive realities of global trade.
"Everybody is developing megaports ... you see it in Asia, Europe, South America," Cordero said. "People are looking for their share. The difference this time is we have a big project being developed next door."
Snyder sees it as a stimulus to continue improving local port facilities and transportation links.
"Competition is a good thing because it keeps everyone sharp," Snyder said. "Our goal is to have the most efficient supply chain and be a leader in terms of helping introduce technologies that save fuel, pollute less and make the most economic sense for our customers."
Gustavo Torres
gustavotorres@remax.net
1-866-588-2252
www.remax-baja.com
By Sandra Dibble
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 26, 2008
TIJUANA – It sits on a hillside miles from San Diego, rising above tightly packed colonias in Tijuana's fast-growing eastern end. Despite its distance from the border, the new Monte de Los Olivos sewage treatment plant has been drawing applause in California.
Expected to begin operation within a month, the $9 million plant will at full capacity treat the waste of some 265,000 residents to a tertiary level, clean enough for irrigation. Together with a smaller but similar plant, La Morita, set to open this year, Monte de Los Olivos will dramatically decrease the flow of untreated sewage down the Tijuana River channel that leads to the border.
The operation of the two plants also will relieve Tijuana's main sewage treatment plant, the over-burdened Punta Bandera facility south of Playas de Tijuana. By the middle of next year, officials hope the operation of the new plants will largely eliminate the coastal discharges of untreated sewage at Punta Bandera.
“This project puts Baja California at the vanguard of sewage treatment in Mexico,” Baja California Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna Millán told a crowd of more than 300 gathered for yesterday's inauguration ceremony at Monte de los Olivos.
The plant's opening marks the first step in an ambitious state-led reclamation project for Tijuana that will take years to develop. The city's 1.4 million residents look to piped-in water from the Colorado River to meet more than 90 percent of their water needs, and the state has been hard-pressed to expand the region's supply.
By using treated water for irrigation and industry, the state hopes to save the Colorado River water for residential and commercial purposes. But before they can proceed, they need to build a network of pipes to deliver the reclaimed water, and find enough users.
No one disputes that the plants at Monte de los Olivos and La Morita, which will treat sewage in the Tijuana River watershed, represent a major step forward for the city. Financing for the two plants, along with a third scheduled to open next year in southern Tijuana, is through a low-interest loan from the Japanese government and Mexico's federal government. The builder is a Mexico City-based company named Fypasa.
Initially, only 10 percent of Monte de los Olivos' output capacity will be used for reclamation, said Hernando Duran, head of the state public service commission in Tijuana, known as CESPT. The state is setting up a system that will pipe any of the unused treated effluent for discharge into the Pacific Ocean south of Punta Bandera.
“While the system is designed, it's not fully ready,” Romo said. “Overall, it's a very good sign, but people should not expect results by tomorrow.”
Within four years, Duran said the hope is to be using at least three-fourths of Monte de los Olivos' capacity in reclamation projects. Beyond that, the state is also studying the possibility of piping some of the reclaimed water to a point above Tijuana's RodrNguez Dam, allowing it to filter through into the reservoir.
“They deserve a huge amount of credit for what they've done,” said Bart Christensen, senior engineer with California's State Water Resources Control Board, and his agency's border coordinator. “They have the same goals as San Diego, but they don't have the resources San Diego has. They have to be really creative to get their infrastructure implemented in Tijuana. This really demonstrates Mexico's commitment to addressing their own waste water infrastructure needs.”
Despite progress, Tijuana's sewage flow continues to exceed the city's treatment capacity. Cross-border sewage spills have for decades been a contentious issue, as incidents in the Tijuana River basin are likely to be felt across the border in the Tijuana River estuary in Imperial Beach. Though dry weather flows have largely been eliminated, cross-border sewage flows during wet weather continue to shut down South Bay beaches.
Monte de los Olivos “is a critical facility that's necessary to meet Tijuana's waste water treatment needs today and in the future,” said Su Cox, an environmental engineer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has been working closely with CESPT on a plan to connect an additional 34,000 residents in eastern Tijuana to the sewer system.
“The thing that's great about this is that it addresses environmental health and public health needs on both sides of the border.”
Highlights Cost: The $9 million Monte de los Olivos plant will treat sewage from about 265,000 residents in eastern Tijuana.
Irrigation: The plant launches a major reuse project for Tijuana, and officials are installing pipes to distribute the water to green areas. Most of the flow will initially be discharged into the ocean.
Coastal discharge: The plant provides relief for the overburdened coastal Punta Bandera plant. Together with future La Morita plant and new sewage collection projects, the coastal discharge of untreated sewage from the Punta Bandera plant is near an end.
Cross-border: Cross-border sewage flows in wet weather will continue, but the concentration of sewage in those flows is expected to decrease.
Other projects: A third sewage treatment plant in southern Tijuana, a desalination plant in Ensenada that will produce 5.7 million gallons of water a day, and expansion of the Colorado River aqueduct.
www.bajainvestment.com
 | | | |
| Written by Property Wire |
| Thursday, 02 October 2008 |
| Canadian property investors are increasingly investing in Mexico as they regard the US market as not a good prospect at the moment. An increase in the number of flights from Canada to Mexico and a desire to avoid the volatility of the US market means more are buying second homes and investment properties further afield. One investor, Doug Walker, had considered buying in Hawaii and the Caribbean. He wanted a holiday home to which he and his wife could eventually retire. 'We were looking for something special but we also wanted to make a good investment,' he said. He has now bought a home overlooking the Sea of Cortez and the 18th hole of a private golf club on Mexico's western coast. Walker is not the only Canadian looking to Mexico for a good investment. According to Alfonso Sumano, the Mexican Tourism Board's regional director for Canada, more and more Canadians are holidaying in Mexico and then deciding to invest. This year flights arriving in Mexico increased by 9.2% and this has made Mexico an easy destination to reach and boosted interest. 'Canadians can leave home in the morning and be on the beach by lunchtime,' said Sumano. Although he could not provide any official statistics for the number of Canadians buying property in Mexico, he said the number had increased substantially. At Querencia, the luxury gated community where Walker has invested, about 10% are owned by Canadians. Jorge Carrera, president and chief executive officer of Querencia, said he has seen an increase in interest from Canadians. 'My last five buyers have been Canadians. We haven't really targeted them but with the interest we are getting, we are looking to attract more Canadians,' he added. He reckons that the strong Canadian dollar, low property taxes – just 0.25% of a property's assessed value – and a very low cost of living make Mexico an attractive location for property investors. |
www.remax-baja.com
Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Elation will begin a new schedule offering three- and four-day cruises from San Diego to Catalina Island and Ensenada starting Feb. 12. The 2,052-passenger ship currently operates four- and five-day cruises to Mexico from San Diego and will continue that program until the new service begins. On its new route, Carnival Elation will depart on Thursdays on three-day cruises to Ensenada. Four-day cruises will depart on Sundays and visit Ensenada and Catalina Island. This marks the first time passengers can depart from San Diego and voyage to Catalina Island aboard a large cruise ship.
"We're pleased to have this new itinerary available," said Michael Bixler, chairman of the board of port commissioners. "It's a perfect fit for local residents who want a pleasant way to travel to Catalina Island as well as for visitors attending a convention here who would like to include a pre or post cruise." The three- and four-day cruises are expected to attract 226,000 passengers annually, a boost of 33 percent over the 169,000 annual passengers that have embarked on the five-day cruises. With the shorter cruises, Carnival Elation will complete 100 ship calls annually, up from 75 for the longer cruises.
Carnival will continue to offer seasonal eight-day cruises from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera aboard Carnival Spirit. Each homeport cruise ship call at the Port of San Diego has an economic impact of about $2 million. This figure is derived from the average amount that a cruise ship passenger spends while in the San Diego region, along with the employment associated with serving the cruise ship and the many businesses and services that support it. They include food companies, linen services, trucking companies, fuel companies, landside tour companies and florists.
In 2007, the Port of San Diego had 238 cruise calls with more than 700,000 passengers. By the end of 2008, the port anticipates that number to jump to 252 cruises and more than 800,000 passengers. The Port currently has nine cruise lines making calls here. To accommodate the growing cruise business, the port will be building a cruise ship terminal on Broadway Pier and updating the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal. The design for the new terminal at the Broadway Pier features a two-story structure with a modern design. It will include areas for passenger check-in, baggage processing and Customs and Border Protection. Construction for the approximately 50,000 square foot structure is planned to begin around late spring of 2009.
President Calderon will open bidding for infrastructure contracts Thursday. The project is likely to transform the village of Punta Colonet.
By Marla Dickerson
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 28, 2008
MEXICO CITY — Mexico's government is setting sail with the largest infrastructure project in the nation's history, a $4-billion seaport that it hopes will one day rival those of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
President Felipe Calderon is scheduled to travel to northern Baja California today to open bidding on a development that his administration hopes will catapult Mexico into a major player in North American logistics.
Plans call for the construction of a massive port in the tiny coastal village of Punta Colonet, about 150 miles south of Tijuana, along with new rail lines to whisk Asian-made goods north to the United States. Mexico's aim is to snatch some Pacific cargo traffic from Southern California's ports, whose growth is constrained by urban development and environmental concerns.
Punta Colonet is expected to have a capacity of 2 million shipping containers annually when it opens in 2014, Mexico's transportation secretariat told The Times But officials envision it ultimately handling five times that amount. Last year, the ports of L.A. and Long Beach handled 15.7 million containers combined.
The massive development is to be privately funded, with the first phase estimated to cost $4 billion to $5 billion. The government is expected to award the 45-year concession in 2009.
A number of major players are expected to vie for the project, including Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, the world's second-richest man. Slim's infrastructure company, known as Ideal, has teamed with Mexican mining and railroad giant Grupo Mexico and New Jersey-based terminal operator Ports America Group to make a run at the deal.
"We've spent a lot of years working on this," said Miguel Favela, head of Mexican operations for Ports America. "It's going to make Mexico . . . much more competitive. "
About 30 million shipping containers crossed the Pacific Ocean last year, a flow that increased about 10% annually in the last decade. A weak U.S. economy has slowed the trade, but experts predict it will rebound.
With shippers increasingly worried about congestion at L.A.-Long Beach, Punta Colonet has emerged as an attractive alternative. It's close to the United States. It possesses a wide, natural harbor. And it's in a lightly populated area offering room for expansion.
When Calderon visits the dusty hamlet of about 2,500 people today, he is expected to talk about the big changes in store. The village will need extensive upgrades to its roads, housing, electrical grid and water supply. State and local officials are planning for a city of about 200,000 to spring up around the port.
The changes envisioned are alarming environmentalists, who worry about the potential destruction of the area's plants and wildlife. But the farmers who scratch out a living there are thrilled at the prospect.
"What we need is employment for our kids," said Jesus Lara, representative of several peasant landowner groups that are eager to sell. "Everyone is excited. Having the president come to your town is like winning the Lotto."
But whether Punta Colonet turns out to be lucrative for Mexico won't be known for years. Competitors up and down the Pacific coast are in the midst of major upgrades. Panama has begun a $5.3-billion expansion of its landmark canal. Canada's Prince Rupert port in British Columbia began speeding containers to the American heartland by rail last year and is planning a major expansion.
Little of the cargo bound for Punta Colonet will stay in Mexico, making the port vulnerable to the whims of shippers, who can choose other routes to the U.S.
"Nothing is guaranteed," said Asaf Ashar, research professor with the National Ports and Waterways Institute in Washington. "It's a big risk."
Building a seaport from scratch would be difficult enough. But the overland transportation piece is likely to make or break Punta Colonet. The deal is being structured as a joint port-and-rail project, requiring terminal operators, railroads and construction companies to team up in consortia to win the bid. The railroad's ultimate route and U.S. crossing points will depend on which railway operator is chosen and how it manages to link up with existing rail networks on both sides of the border.
Union Pacific Corp. of Omaha and Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway Co. control the U.S. side of the tracks at most of the key U.S.-Mexico border crossings. Striking a deal with one of those companies to get the cargo to the American side will be crucial, said Paul Bingham, managing director of the global trade and transportation practice for Global Insight, a Massachusetts- based consulting firm.
"They have the ability to essentially choke off that port," Bingham said.
BNSF spokesman Patrick Hiatte said Wednesday that the company was "very interested" in the Punta Colonet project. He declined to say with whom the firm might collaborate to make a bid.
Union Pacific could not be reached for comment. The company earlier had teamed with Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings to make a run at the project, but that alliance dissolved last year.
Baja California American and Canadian expatriates become stars of documentary
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- After months of endless sensational news articles on ongoing and constant rehashing of old stories scaring visitors to stay away, American expatriates living in Baja California said, "Enough."
The Baja California peninsula is home to an estimated 250,000 American expatriates with some 30,000 of them living in Tijuana, Rosarito Beach and Ensenada. Rosarito alone touts over 14,000 American retirees, nearly 10 percent of their 150,000 population.
Melinda Bates, former Social Director for the White House during the eight years of the Clinton Administration, has lived in Rosarito for over three years said, "I read the same news everyone else reads, but I feel perfectly safe here." Mona Keys, originally from Denver who moved to San Diego only to find she couldn't afford to live along the coast so she and her husband moved to Baja Mar in Ensenada said, "My mother calls me from Denver because the news about Baja frightened her, but I tell her not to worry, we're perfectly safe here."
Anne Hines, Canadian expatriate living in Rosarito for 10 year said, "The biggest challenge my fellow expats and I have is allying the fears of our family and friends when they read the headlines and many embellished or just plain untrue stories of the dire consequences for anyone venturing down to Baja."
Many expatriates believe US journalists purposely do not interview them because it would belie the notion that Americans are not safe in Baja.
The expats quickly volunteered to be interviewed for the documentary, The North Baja Coast: Come Visit - Stay to Live, produced by San Diego based TransBorder Communications. The documentary shows the beauty of Baja but the stars are the expatriates who tell their stories on living in Mexico including their personal security, quality and costs of medical services, cost of living and quality of life.
The documentary also highlights each of the four Baja California municipalities: Tijuana, Rosarito Beach, Ensenada, Tecate and Mexicali along with San Felipe, Baja's Palm Springs with a beach.
The half-hour documentary will be shown 50 times from August 25 through September 14 on a number of Time Warner Cable channels in West Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley, Ventura, Orange and Inland Empire counties.
Contact:
Hector C. Molina
TransBorder Communications
http://www.transbordercommunications.com
FROM www.bajainvestment.com
It’s September, the summer has unofficially ended and its time again for the annual Rosarito Beach Home and Furniture Expo, one of the most well attended events of the year. This year’s expo will be held Sept. 4 through 7 on the grounds of the new Pabellon Rosarito Grand, the city’s newest and most elegant commercial center.
The almost 45 acres will lend itself to easy access and plenty of parking for guests as well as exhibitors, who are excited about the new location which represents the city’s commitment to a new and exciting future for Rosarito in the 21st century.
The expo will feature fine hand-made furniture, wrought iron pieces, flooring and accessories. Original works of art by members of Rosarito's thriving artist community also will be displayed. For decades, Rosarito has been famous for the high quality and originality of its finely crafted furniture, tile, glass work, metal sculpture and other crafts.
The excellence of its artisans is part of what attracts the more than one million visitors per year to the seaside community in Baja 30 miles south of downtown San Diego.
"In Rosarito, furniture making is an art," said Juan Bosco, president of AFAMARO, Rosarito's home furnishing association, which sponsors the event.
Many of the area’s artisans and craftsmen were employed by Fox Studios when the movie "Titanic" was filmed here in the 1990s, making key contributions to the Academy Award-winning film.
Area real estate offerings will also be showcased at the expo as Baja's Gold Coast, the coastal area from Tijuana to Ensenada, has become home to a real estate boom as thousands of Americans are buying oceanfront condos and houses.
The real estate boom has also benefited local craftsmen and artists, as many of the new home buyers furnish and decorate their homes with local art, furniture and accessories.
As part of the four day expo there will be a tequila exhibit where 15 different brands of the traditional Mexican drink will be featured and on Sunday, the final day of the expo, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the event will expand to include a Steak and Lobster Festival
And from the 5th to the 7th there will be the Baron Balche Wine Tasting Tours to the nearby Guadalupe Valley, one of the most emerging and respected wine regions in the world.
Additional information is available by calling Martha Mendoza Montes at AFAMARO or 01152-661-613-1532 or writing her at Martha@afamaro.com or visiting www.afamaro.com.
Rosarito/Ensenada Bike Ride September 27 –
Perhaps The Final Ride
The next Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Bike Ride is Sept. 27 and organizers say this is the last one they will do, making it especially histories,
Bike riders have been known to come from all over Mexico, the US and other countries to ride in this 50 mile picturesque event along some of the most beautiful coastline in the world.
The ride started in September of 1979 when several friends decided to ride the old free road from Rosarito Beach to Ensenada and realized that it was exactly 50 miles. The ride became an annual tradition between the friends and it quickly grew so large that in 1986 a spring ride was created to alleviate the crowds and since then it has been held every April and every September.
Gary Foster of Bicycling West, a San Diego sports marketing company that promotes large-scale participatory events in Baja, blames all the unfair U.S. media coverage about safety issues in Baja for declining participation in the event,
It is especially frustrating to him because in the 27 years that the Ride has existed it has had approximately 375,000 participants without one serious crime.
“It’s been a great event for the city for such a long time and I hope that this race will have a great turnout,” said Laura Wong, President of the Rosarito Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The past few weekends the town has been packed with people.”
“I hope that something can be done to continue this wonderful event that has given so much to so many,” she added.
What to When the Summer Ends
After Labor Day, which generally marks the end of the summer, schools are back in session, vacations are over and life goes back to the “routine” that we all usually fall into. For many, it’s the beginning of the long wait until next summer when they can take their vacation or “break” from their routine and have a little fun in the sun.
As it turns out, this is actually one of the best times to come to Rosarito Beach because the crowds have all left, the weather is still great, the beaches are still pristine, the food is still delicious, the shopping is less crowded and the weekend night life is still spectacular.
The best part is that prices are better in the off-season, more bargains are available. You can book a spa appointment more easily or a table at your favorite restaurant. Play a round of golf or go deep sea fishing, parasailing, jet skiing, surfing or horseback riding on the beach.
There’s always plenty to do here but why wait until next summer when you can have it all now? Take a “Baja Break” and have a great time when you would least expect it and most deserve it. Come when the pace has slowed down and you can really appreciate the culture and all that the community has to offer.
Harley Run for Children of Baja –
A Roaring Success
The roar of hundreds of motorcycles driving into Rosarito Beach would normally cause heads to turn and even raise a concern for some but not this time. Although many heads did turn it wasn’t out of alarm but instead, happiness and joy because the Rosarito Beach Harley Run was back in town.
The annual Harley Run is a charity event which literally brings in truck loads of desperately needed clothing, shoes, toys, school supplies and hygiene products to aid the children of Baja.
This year’s Run culminated at Papas & Beer, one of the main sponsors of the event, for a day of partying and passing out donations which were collected and dispersed by DIF, Desarrollo Integral de la Familia. DIF provides shelter, food, clothing, medical, social services and much other assistance to children and families in need.
This year’s theme was safety as the riders received a police escort across the border and into Rosarito and then back to the border following the event.
“We thank everyone for coming to our city and all that you do to help the children of our community,” Mayor Hugo Torres announced to the riders and friends who applauded him vigorously. “Our door will always be open to you and we want you to always feel safe and secure when visiting us.”
The founders/organizers of the Harley Run, Martin and Sonia Resendez, were on hand along with many of their assistants to help with the passing out of the donations most of the weekend.
Sixteen Harley riders who wanted to do more than just have a good time stayed over to help out as well. On Sunday at the playground by the DIF community center, approximately 80 children received toys and school supplies and on Monday in a small community about one mile south of Puerto Nuevo, the world famous Lobster Village, the last of the donations were dispersed to about 100 children.
Unfortunately, the supply ran out before all of the children could be processed so the riders and others reached into their own pockets and started handing out dollar bills, Harley posters and magazines. They also bought out the entire ice cream supplies of three different ice cream venders who happened to be nearby so that no child walked away empty handed.
“It was perfect weekend,” said Hugo Rivas, one of the riders. “Seeing those kid’s faces light up when they received their gift made it perfect.”
What’s Happening in Town?
SUMMER FESTIVAL - SEPTEMBER 4, 5, 6, 7. Including the Rosarito Home & Furniture Expo,” the “Steak & Lobster Festival,” and “The Pavilion of Tequilas.” The most spectacular events of summer come together for this festival from the making of furniture, to our regional food tasting of steak and lobster and the best tequilas combined with live music, mariachi and folkloric dancing. Come and join us at the new Pabellon Rosarito Grand.
For more information: www.bajaevents.com.mx
THE BEACH MOTOCROSS SERIES ROUND 1 - SEPTEMBER 6. State Motocross Championships with the best riders from both sides of the border competing on a specially designed race track with jumps and obstacles in a circuit of approximately 2 miles. Participants of all levels compete, from children in peewees category to adults in the professional category. Each race is for points to determine the best racer in each category.
For more information: 619.819.6323 www.toomuchfun.com.mx
CUP OF THE AMERICAS SURFING PRO-AM - SEPTEMBER 12-14. Rosarito Beach will be the host of the 4th stop of this Surfing Tour “Cup of the Americas Pro-Am” in the beaches off the Pier, with more than 70 of the best surfers and bodyboarders of Mexico, Latin America and the US competing for a grand prize of $8,000. There will also be skate ramps, surf gear for sale, parties and more.
At Rosarito Beach Pier, More Info 1.800.962.2252 www.circuitosurflasamericas.com
TOM GATCH FISHING TOURNAMENT - SEPTEMBER 21. Free bait provided,Complimentary refreshments for all participants, Free to participants 12 years of age and under, and to hotel guests. General public: $5 adults and $7, families, prizes for most fish & biggest fish caught (no sharks, jacksmelts or mantarays). Bring your own gear, a limited amount are available for rent. Winner take all voluntary cash jackpot, (additional $1 fee per angler), to be awarded to the entrant with the largest overall fish at the end of the competition.
Rosarito Beach Pier, 10am-1pm: Ph: +52 (661) 612.1126 www.rosaritobeachhotel.com
Misleading U.S. media coverage has conveyed an inaccurate picture of the risk of visiting Baja and has been the main cause of a tourism decline, Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres told a meeting of the Mexico Business Center Wednesday.
“The public assumes there is a big danger,” guest speaker Torres told members of the San Diego Chamber committee, although Baja has not had one reported serious violent crime against its millions of visitors this entire year.
Among inaccurate media reports cited by Torres was that four U.S. tourists were killed this past May. In fact, three were Mexicans and all had extensive criminal records, including involvement in drugs, and they were not in the area for tourism.
Torres said that the media also conveyed the impression that violence from the Mexican government’s crackdown on drug cartels created a risk to visitors, while only police and criminals have been involved in some high-profile shootouts.
“They are mixing a fight against drugs with danger to visitors,” he said of some media reports.
The inaccurate perceptions led to Rosarito tourism being down as much as 60 percent the first part of this year, although the summer has only been down about 20 percent as people realize the area is safe and welcoming to visitors, he said.
“We firmly believe we are going to recover,” he said. “The people are beginning to come back.”
He said a lengthy border wait and especially a troubled U.S. economy also contributed to the decline in visitors to Rosarito, where 70 percent of jobs are dependent on tourism.
“When the U.S. economy has a cold, we get pneumonia,” he said.
The reformist mayor also told the group of 30 business and civic leaders of steps he had taken to improve Rosarito since taking office last year: “I wanted to make a change; security was bad.”
More than one third of city police who did not meet standards for honesty and performance have been replaced, he said, and the city has established a 24-hour-a-day ombudsman’s office for visitor assistance.
Rosarito also has established a special Tourist Police Force of its best officers, with some assistance from the Anaheim Police Department, which has special expertise because of its involvement with Disneyland and its visitors.
“The city also is committed to improving services and activities,” he said of Rosarito.
Ron Raposa
www.bajainvestment.com
It is time again for the annual Rosarito Beach Home and Furniture Expo, one of the most well received and attended events of its kind.
This year's offering is the seventh in a series of successful expos that have consistently attracted thousands of visitors from both sides of the border and will feature fine hand-made furniture, wrought iron pieces, flooring and accessories.
Local real estate offerings also will be featured. Rosarito is at the center of development along Baja's Gold Coast. There will be a gala Steak and Lobster Festival on the final day of the event.
A big difference between past expos and this one is where it is being held. The previous six were showcased at the Rosarito Beach Hotel & Resort, one of Baja's most famous landmarks.
This expo will be held on the grounds of the new Pabellon Rosarito Grand, the city's newest and largest commercial center, right at the northern entrance to the city.
"It should make for a great event," said Laura Wong, president of the Rosarito Convention & Visitors' Bureau.
Original works of art by members of Rosarito's thriving artist community also will be displayed. For decades, Rosarito has been famous for the high quality and originality of its finely crafted furniture, tile, glass work, metal sculpture and other crafts.
The excellence of its artisans is part of what attracts the more than one million visitors per year to the seaside community in Baja 30 miles south of downtown San Diego.
"In Rosarito, furniture making is an art," said Juan Bosco, president of AFAMARO, Rosarito's home furnishing association, which sponsors the event.
Many of the area's artisans and craftsmen were employed by Fox Studios when the movie "Titanic" was filmed here in the 1990s, making key contributions to the Academy Award-winning film.
Area real estate offerings will also be showcased at the expo as Baja's Gold Coast, the coastal area from Tijuana to Ensenada, has become home to a real estate boom as thousands of Americans are buying oceanfront condos and houses.
The real estate boom has also benefited local craftsmen and artists, as many of the new home buyers furnish and decorate their homes with local art, furniture and accessories.
As part of the four day expo there will be a tequila exhibit where 15 different brands of the traditional Mexican drink will be featured and on Sunday, the final day of the expo, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the event will expand to include a Steak and Lobster Festival.
And from the 5th to the 7th there will be the Baron Balche Wine Tasting Tours to the nearby Guadalupe Valley, one of the most emerging and respected wine regions in the world.
Additional information is available by calling Martha Mendoza Montes at 01152-661-613-1532 or writing her at Martha@afamaro.com or visiting www.afamaro.com.
By Janine Zúñiga
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 14, 2008
SAN YSIDRO – The San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with all five Baja California border cities and with chambers of commerce from here to Calexico to create the Binational Chamber of Border Commerce.
The group will meet to tackle common issues that affect business on both sides of the border. Those issues, the group says, include inefficient border-crossing inspections and a lack of infrastructure.
Jason M-B Wells, San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce executive director and Binational Chamber of Border Commerce organizer, said the border business group can't sit idly by while politicians in Washington, D.C., and Mexico City decide what's best for ports of entry 3,000 miles away.
“We live this every day,” he said. “We know what works.”
Wells said the border between California and Baja California is home to the busiest land port of entry in the world, the second-busiest cargo crossing and the largest binational economy in the Western Hemisphere.
The group hopes its strength and single voice can help push initiatives to help speed up border-crossing times, such as putting in more “stacked” booths at San Ysidro.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is testing the idea, similar to a method used in checkout lines at some big-box stores, where two checkers help one lane of customers. Stacking has proved to reduce border wait times, the group said.
The binational group also wants at least one 24-hour lane at all California-Baja California ports of entry, and additional agents on both sides of the border where needed. The group also hopes border officials will stop conducting secondary inspections in primary inspection lanes. They said officers at various ports often spend too much time with one vehicle, when they should send it forward for further inspection to keep traffic flowing.
Wells also organized an association of business and community groups in recent months whose members were concerned with plans for a redesign of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. When plans last year showed the loss of a considerable amount of private property, the Smart Border Coalition got involved. The federal government has since reduced the amount of land it planned to take.
Wells said the coalition's efforts gave him the idea for the binational group.
“We realized that a lot of the issues aren't specific to just San Ysidro,” he said. “We had to look at our entire border and make sure we had binational buy-in.”
Wells said the Smart Border Coalition introduced the idea of a southbound pedestrian crossing on the east side of Interstate 5. He said it would help local businesses. The current southbound crossing, on the west side of I-5, diverts potential shoppers away from them.
He also said a southbound crossing near the trolley, also east of I-5, would make it more convenient for people who use the transit system to enter Mexico.
“We need both sides in agreement for how that should be,” said Wells, referring to having officials in the United States and Mexico working out the design of the new pedestrian crossing.
Wells said increased border-crossing wait times have grown to unacceptable levels. Businesses and the economy are hurt when half or two-thirds of a company's work force is a half hour to two hours late, or doesn't show up at all, he said. He said increased border wait times also have a detrimental effect on the number of trips tourists and shoppers make.
Construction on the San Ysidro Port of Entry is set to begin this month. More than 50,000 vehicles and 25,000 pedestrians use the port daily to cross into the United States. Studies have pointed to an expected increase of the number of vehicles crossing of up to 70 percent by 2030.
The $577 million project will increase the number of lanes in each direction and is the federal government's largest border-crossing project.
Wells said many details on the San Ysidro redesign project aren't complete. He also said some projects such as the southbound pedestrian crossing are unfunded but included in the plans. He said the group will continue to push for improvements at all border crossings.
Members of the binational group from the United States include the chambers of commerce in San Ysidro, Calexico, Chula Vista and Tecate Community; the Imperial Valley and South County economic development corporations; and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
In Mexico, members include the chambers of commerce in Tijuana, Ensenada, Mexicali, Playas de Rosarito and Tecate.