2.10 · Playa Serena: Renovate or Rebuild?

Playa Serena: Renovate or Rebuild?

Host (Jenna Morgan): Good morning, and welcome to Coastlines. I’m Jenna Morgan. Today we’re talking about the Hotel Miramar in Playa Serena, a four-story hotel right on the beach. It’s been closed for five years. Next month, the town council will vote on its future: renovate the old building, or knock it down and build a new eco-hotel. My guest is the town planner Owen Price. Owen, welcome.

Town planner (Owen Price): Thanks, Jenna. It’s good to be here.

Host (Jenna Morgan): Let’s start with the facts. What state is the building in?

Town planner (Owen Price): Well, the hotel opened in 1962. From the beach, it looks pretty run-down: the paint’s peeling, and the pool’s empty. But the engineers’ report shows that the concrete frame is still strong. It needs new windows and new wiring, but underneath, it’s a well-preserved building.

Host (Jenna Morgan): Mm-hm. A lot of people in town call it an eyesore, though.

Town planner (Owen Price): I know. But in my view, it’s one of the best-loved buildings on this coast. People got married there.

Host (Jenna Morgan): OK, so what about money? What would each option cost?

Town planner (Owen Price): The figures show that renovating would cost about 90 million pesos and take around 18 months. Rebuilding would cost about 140 million pesos, and it would take at least three years.

Host (Jenna Morgan): But supporters of the eco-hotel say a new building would be much cheaper to run.

Town planner (Owen Price): And they’re right. According to the report, the new design would use about 40% less energy. It’s a very eco-friendly design.

Host (Jenna Morgan): So why not build it?

Town planner (Owen Price): Because, I’d argue, that’s only half the story. Knocking down a building and putting up a new one produces a huge amount of carbon before a single guest checks in. Buildings and construction produce more than a third of the world’s energy-related carbon emissions. That’s from a United Nations report. There’s a famous line by the American architect Carl Elefante: the greenest building is one that’s already built.

Host (Jenna Morgan): Right. Now, you spoke to people in town this week.

Town planner (Owen Price): I did. Marta Rivas has a family-run fish restaurant across the street from the hotel. She told me that her busiest summers were the years when the Miramar was open. She said she wanted the hotel open again as soon as possible.

Host (Jenna Morgan): And the mayor?

Town planner (Owen Price): The mayor asked me to look at both options carefully. And at the public meeting, a student asked me whether the building was safe. It is.

Host (Jenna Morgan): What about jobs? The Miramar was one of the biggest employers in town.

Town planner (Owen Price): Both options create jobs. But with a renovation, the hotel reopens sooner, so local families start earning sooner.

Host (Jenna Morgan): Some people say that choosing the cheaper option is short-sighted, and that the town needs a five-star hotel.

Town planner (Owen Price): Honestly, I think that’s the wrong way to look at it. A renovated Miramar can be a comfortable, energy-efficient hotel too.

Host (Jenna Morgan): So, Owen, what’s your recommendation?

Town planner (Owen Price): Personally, I’d renovate. I think it’s the smarter long-term choice. But it isn’t my decision. It’s the town’s.

Host (Jenna Morgan): Owen Price, thank you.

Town planner (Owen Price): Thank you, Jenna.

Host (Jenna Morgan): The next public meeting is on Thursday at seven at the town hall. And wherever you are, send us a message: renovate or rebuild?