#SanJose will have the tallest #building of #CostaRica │ #costadevelopers

Recently have been built in the country several #apartment towers, however the construction of corporate centers has taken first place.

The #project towers of Colon that promises to be the tallest #building in Costa Rica, will be located on First Avenue in the Costa Rican capital. Its #construction will take 22 months and will have a height of 101.3 meters, with 30 levels, 126 room units distributed in 29 floors.

Torres de Colón is the second stage of the Paseo Colón towers project and has an #investment of $18 million.

A charge of this structure is the signature real estate group Del Parque, construction will be 22.000 square meters. This #developer is already building a tower of 97 meters high and 27 floors, which will be intended to be a building of offices and also residential.

In accordance with Del Parque, the entity The Council on Tall Building and Urban Habitat gave accreditation to Torres Paseo Colón to be the tallest building in Costa Rica.

In spite of the construction of this housing complex began last Thursday, more than 70 apartments are already sold which means more than half of the project.

Representatives of the developer justify that the cause of this accelerated sale is the proximity of the condominium with the center of the city and also the security that it offers.

"Acceptance is that the people have discovered as a wonder to return to live in San Jose. It's the benefit, the car use passes to a second plane, the proximity of services," explained José Luis Salinas, President of the #realestate group at La Nación.

The company presented several innovations in construction as access through electronic fingerprint detection, and a modern system of internal monitoring.

Also public areas will have #gym, projection room, bar, swimming pool, track for running, laundry and #BBQ ranch.

Del Parque has other real estate developments such as Vistas del Parque, Sabana Real, Torres del Parque and other complexes in the capital.

Posted by #Costa Developers

San Jose will have luxury housing project

San José, the capital of Costa Rica in one of the cities with the largest construction and development in the region.

The skyscrapers and apartment buildings are no longer alien to the landscape of San Jose, capital of Costa Rica and city that has grown under construction rapidly in recent years.

The latest news corresponds to the development of a complex of apartments in one of the most exclusive areas of the city, Rohrmoser. The entrepreneur Saúl Kahana is responsible for a $50 million investment in a residential building for 171 apartments.

This San José neighborhood is considered to be one of the most exclusive of the capital city, its proximity to many occupational sectors, companies, strategic point for families looking for important safety and location, has given huge benefits that today translates into the construction of housing complexes.

With the growth of the construction in San Jose, entrepreneurs have seen the possibility of investment in the capital. Costa Ricans increasingly willing to live in apartment towers and to cooperate with the reconsideration of urban space bring the country this type of project.

Saúl Kahana Costa Rican businessman wanted, within the framework of the mentioned above form a Business Consortium that develops the project DUO Luxury Condos, which offers two towers of 21 floors with 171 apartments.

"The idea emerged to provide a housing solution for people who enjoy living close to the city. Rohrmoser has a strategic and privileged location and have access to all parts of the city. We did a market survey and found that our target customers looking for this area, but before there were projects like ours and why they had to go to other parts,"said Kahana.

The investment for this project round $50 million and would initiate the construction of the first tower in November of this year, after reaching an adequate number of pre-sales.

According to Kahana, in addition to the luxury finishes, these homes stand out for having wider spaces. The smallest apartment is 160 meters building livable area and the largest reach up to 600 meters. The price starts at US$ 2,000 to US$ 2,700 square meter.

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Airline IBERIA baptizes plane with the name of "Costa Rica"

Iberia has had great participation in Costa Rica last year market

The air company Iberia will give the name "Costa Rica" to one of its eight aircraft, the second Airbus A330-300, its fleet that is expected to receive over the 2013 and 2014.

This aircraft will bear the name of Costa Rica as a tribute of the company to one of the most beautiful countries of Latin America, the Spanish airline said in a statement. "Costa Rica" is a twin-engined transatlantic voyage that take place and that will be allocated to routes that pass through the United States.

"The main advantage of this model of operation with aircrafts is efficiency, since they consume around 15% less fuel than other aircraft of similar capacity four models, which translates into considerable cost savings", adds the company in its press release.

The integration of the "Costa Rica" aircraft is the second aircraft of the fleet which receives the company, the first of which received the name of Tikal, in tribute to the Maya archaeological sites of Guatemala, and joined the fleet on 15 February.

Aircraft "Costa Rica" registration EC-LUK will join the fleet of Iberia as part of a renewal in the company and aims at the provision of modern, more efficient aircraft and with better services. It will be equipped with new interiors for Business and tourist class.

New modern designs have interiors refurbished in tourist and Executive classes, the Executive seats will rest into beds and economy class will have direct access to the Hall.

In the last month the Spanish airline made the announcement of increasing its supply of seats for flights from the Costa Rican capital to Madrid by 6% during the year 2013.

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Why Costa Rica is the Destination of Choice for New Retirees

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Expats have long been attracted to Costa Rica for many reasons; accessibility, safety, low cost of living, beautiful beaches, modern inexpensive health care, some of the best real estate opportunities in Central America, good infrastructure, lush tropical rainforests, ocean, mountain and valley views, weather unparalleled, theaters, art galleries, and so much more.

Currently by some estimates there are more than 150,000 expatriates living full time or part time in Costa Rica and in many of established expat communities throughout the country.

These numerous and growing expat communities have been a major factor in the growth of the Costa Rica real estate market especially in the past 10 years.

In Costa Rica you will find rich coastal areas along both the Central Pacific and Caribbean, metropolitan lifestyle in the Central valley, adventure and biodiversity National Geographic calls the richest in the world.

Costa Rica is a nature-lover’s dream. The country has a very pro-active philosophy towards conservation and its extensive bio-reserves, ensuring that its jungles, with their renowned biodiversity, continue to be home to a truly stunning assortment of species, from birds to butterflies, monkeys to wild cats, and spectacular flora.

The marine sanctuaries of the Caribbean and Pacific oceans and the rich “bio-corridor” of Costa Rica although being a very small country packs in 5% of the world’s biodiversity.

Costa Rica the largest middle class of all the Central American countries and as well the fastest developing economy, with a long standing tradition of democracy; this could be the biggest driving factor in the Costa Rica real estate market being consistently attractive for the past 2 decades.

Expatriates from all over the world already living in Costa Rica, enjoy one of the most diverse environments and highest standards of living in Central America.

The Costa Rica life expectancy at birth is one of the world’s highest, topping both the U.S. and the U.K.

Tourist services are extensive and with English as a second language, Costa Ricans consider themselves “cultural cousins” to the USA, making the country very visitor-friendly.

The expat population is expected to see tremendous growth over the coming decade with 10,000 baby boomers retiring per day in North America; many are looking to Costa Rica, “The Jewel of Central America” as a place to call home.

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Construction finished as San José’s Avenida 10 reopens

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After 10 months of repairs, a major thoroughfare in downtown San José has reopened to traffic.

San José mayor Johnny Araya and members of the construction company CEMEX inaugurated the revamped Avenida 10 Thursday morning.

San José municipal officials on Thursday inaugurated a newly paved 10-block stretch of Avenida 10, one of the main east-west routes through the city.

Repairs were made between calles 8 and 11 by the company CEMEX and included 8,000 square meters of concrete pavement. Workers also installed 4,000 square meters of new sidewalk. The total cost of the project was $1.2 million.

“We know this project caused a lot of inconvenience for several months,” San José Mayor Johnny Araya said. “The reconstruction of Avenida 10 was carried out in six phases to make it as orderly as possible.”

“Not only does this project beautify the city, but it also provides additional benefits such as a longer life for the road because it’s made of concrete,” Roberto Pongutá, director of CEMEX Costa Rica, said.

The Avenida 10 project is part of a plan to rebuild 38 city blocks.

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Foreign direct investment from high-tech companies expected to reach $574 million

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Technology services and medical supplies firms are the most important.

Foreign firms from the high-technology sector in Costa Rica generated some $574 million and created 8,236 direct jobs in 2012.

The previous year, high-tech FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) was $470 million, and 7,728 new jobs were created.

One of the factors that helped achieve the record was the arrival of 40 new high-tech investment projects that set up operations in Costa Rica.

The new firms belong to the Technology Services, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and Clean Technologies sectors.

Most of them come from the United States, India, Korea, Japan, Germany, Spain, England and Colombia.

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In 2013 San Jose plans the Central American Games

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International experts meet to discuss security at the upcoming sporting event.

The Security Commission for the Central American Games meets this week for a second workshop in preparation for security at next year’s Central American Games.

The event, slotted for March 2013, will be the largest multisport tournament ever held in Costa Rica, and will require significant security coordination within San José.

“As we get closer to the start of the games, we are focused on providing tight security for one of the most important aspects of the event,” said Jorge Villalobos, secretary general of the event. “Security plays a fundamental role for the athletes and others participating in this sporting celebration.” 

The workshop’s participants include experts in event security and terrorism prevention from the United Nations, Canada and Nicaragua, among others.  Two of the workshop’s guests, Brian Powrie, from the U.N.’s Inter-regional Crime and Justice Research Institute, and Brendan Heffernan, from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, will stick around for the weekend to observe security at Saturday’s Festival de la Luz.

By the end of the workshop, the commission plans to have six possible security plans, one of which will be selected and implemented a month before the start of the games.

“Our goal is to share our concerns with these security experts for massive international events in order to gain insight into the results of their previous experiences,” said Marcelo Solano, with the Security Commission. “By the end of the seminar we will have something from which to base our suggestions to improve the final national security plan for the games, which we plan to have ready in January, prior to the start of the torch relay.”

The Official Song of San Jose American Games...

 

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Festival Of Lights in San Jose Today.

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The Christmas Season Begins in Costa Rica

The Festival of Lights or as it is known as Festival de la Luz in San Jose is the kickoff to the Christmas season in Costa Rica. With over a million people attending on a yearly basis, the festival is a combination of lights, culture, music and costumes that is held on the second Saturday of December. The festival is a reminder of the significance of friends and family during the holiday season and hope for the new year.

The festival includes a parade complete with floats, street dancers and music which will make its way from Paseo Colon to El Parque de la Democracia. Each year there is also a grand marshall who is chosen to lead the parade. The choice of the grand marshall is a reflection of the contribution of one Costa Rican to the country. Past marshalls have included famous Ticos Claudia Paul, an Olympic Costa Rican swimmer and up and coming talent Maria Jose Castillo.

Costa Ricans will begin to stake out their spots along the parade route in the early afternoon to ensure they don’t miss any of the festivities. There will also be prizes for categories such as the best float and best performing band. The parade is truly spectacular and features elaborate floats that reflect Costa Rican culture and the holiday season.

Music bands are also a highlight of the parade. Bands from high schools and primary schools prepare for the parade a year in advance hoping to capture the coveted prize of being the best band in the parade. Costumes and music and performance are judged to determine the ultimate band. This is a competition that is taken seriously by its partipants. It is also a great way to experience the young talent Costa Rica has.

You don’t want to miss this event if you are in Costa Rica. The Festival de la Luz has received international attention with coverage on newscasts worldwide. It is truly an opportunity to see some of the best culture, music and costumes Costa Rica is known for. The evening will be capped off with a fireworks display and if you are on a Costa Rica vacation right now, drop everything and head to San Jose. You won’t be disappointed!

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Costa Rican economy grows more than regional average in 2012

The Costa Rican economy will finish the year with 5 percent growth, a figure that is above the 3.2 percent average for Latin America, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

The most dynamic sectors are transport, storage and telecommunications services, financial intermediation, insurance, real estate and manufacturing.

The study also says the government fiscal deficit will close at 4.5 percent. The fiscal deficit in November was 4 percent.

ECLAC predicted the country’s growth will drop to 3.5 percent next year.

In August, Costa Rica’s Central Bank predicted growth of 4.8 percent in 2012.

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Costa Rica’s tallest building is completely sold out

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A new building, 97 meters high, has taken its place.

The building, part of the project “Torres del Paseo Colon,” is located in Paseo Colon, With its 27 floors, consisting of residential condominiums, plus offices and retail spaces, it is no the tallest building in Costa Rica – and has been completely sold out.

Prices began at $155,000, depending on the size and floor of the condominium.

Construction on a second tower will begin in March 2013.

The building features a jacuzzi, gym, swimming pool, and even an indoor running track.

The total investment made in the project was approximately $30 million.

The second tower will have 127 condominiums, of which 56 have already been sold.

La Sabana, Rohrmoser, Paseo Colon and La Uruca have become attractive areas for these types of projects, which are marketed primarily at the upper class.

However, the Ministry of Housing and Human Settlements (Mivah, in Spanish) also has plans to build such high-rise buildings for middle class families.

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Costa Rica exports buses for the first time

A Korean-owned company Daewoo expects to sell 100 buses in the next two years.

Korean company Daewoo Bus Costa Rica Co. this week is sending the first six buses built in the country to El Salvador. That nation bought a total of 12 buses at a cost of $2 million. The other six will be shipped in January.

Last year, Costa Rica exported $280 million worth of auto parts, but this is the first time the country exports entire vehicles.

The Daewoo plant in Santa Ana, southwest of the capital, has a production capacity of some 300 units per year. Daewoo also is the leading brand of buses in the country, with nearly 36 percent of the local market.

This company is an example of how foreign direct investment contributes to the dynamism in the economy, the development of local suppliers and the transfer of technology and knowledge.

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Traditional christmas lighting of building San José’s Children’s Museum.

Seven blocks on Calle 4 are closed for the museum’s annual holiday lighting ceremonies.

The official lighting of approximately 4,000 Christmas lights, concerts and other events are scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

Some 100 police officers will close streets and regulate traffic near the Children’s Museum, north of San José, Wednesday afternoon and into the evening, to provide a route for participants in annual holiday festivities at the museum.

Calle 4, which heads south from the museum, will be completely closed to automobile traffic and will become what authorities call the “safe route” for people attending the event.

Seven blocks of this street will be closed to traffic and are set to host various activities starting at 2 p.m.

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Smashburger opens first Latin American restaurant in Costa Rica

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New restaurant is located at Lincoln Plaza mall in San José.

The U.S.-based fast food chain Smashburger opened its first Latin American restaurant in Costa Rica on Dec. 1.

The restaurant, located at Lincoln Plaza mall northeast of San José, is the first of 18 franchises planned for the region by partner Richard Eisenberg of QSR International. Eisenberg plans to open other locations in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

The new restaurant marks the third international market for the brand. It currently operates locations in Kuwait and Canada, and plans to open its next international locations in Saudi Arabia in early 2013, Smashburger CEO David Prokupek said.

“Our expansion into Latin America is an important milestone for Smashburger,“ he said. “We’ve built a brand that has a strong, passionate following well beyond the borders of the United States. Costa Rica is certain to be a great market for us.”

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Avenida Escazú kicks off Christmas season

Shopping center throws inaugural Christmas parade and tree lighting

Equipped with wooly hats and gloves, hundreds of people braved the chilly (by Costa Rican standards) weather Saturday for Avenida Escazú shopping center’s inaugural Christmas parade, southwest of San José. 

Families in attendance were treated to music from two high school marching bands as well as performances from numerous dance groups.  Clowns in Santa hats and Disney mascots lined the streets during the march, which culminated in an epic entrance by Santa Claus.

The jolly gift-giver ziplined over the street on a cable suspended between two buildings, then repelled down onto the street in a sea of applause.  Santa and Mrs. 

Claus then took the stage for the lighting of the shopping center’s Christmas tree, which was followed by a fireworks show.

Six different groups from around the Escazú and San José area participated in the parade, including the Special Olympics of Costa Rica and Danceworks, a local dance studio.

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Carl's Jr. to open five new restaurants in Costa Rica in 2013

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The burger chain will invest some $4.5 million in the venture.

After opening its sixth restaurant in Costa Rica earlier this month in the province Heredia, California-based hamburger chain Carl’s Jr. now plans to open five more locations here next year.

The fast food franchise arrived in the country in 2011, and by 2013 plans to open new restaurants in Curridabat (east of San José), San Francisco (Heredia), Alajuela, Escazú (southwest of San José) and Tibás (northwest of San José).

General Manager Andrés Fachler said that the expansion of the franchise means an investment of some $4.5 million, as it includes four free-standing locales and one located in a food court.  The chain’s sales have exceeded company expectations, and combined with commercial sector growth, [the company] will boost its expansion in Costa Rica.

The burger chain, which operates 3,182 restaurants worldwide, plans to open 25 locations in Costa Rica during the next five years.

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CHRISTMAS IN COSTA RICA 14 BANDS CONFIRMED FOR THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

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The preparations for the Christmas holidays in Costa Rica has begin.  Starting around December 20th almost everything will shit down in Costa Rica expect for businesses in the service industry.

Music from a total of 14 bands will fill the streets of San Jose on the 15th of December at the Festival of Lights.

The City of San Jose, the organizer of the activity, announced yesterday the bands that have been selected.

Among the selection are the talented bands like the HIGA Band of Guatemala and the Orotina Community Band, which has been awarded top prizes in previous festivals.

The list includes the following: the San Jose Municipal Band, Banda School of Our Lady of the Abandoned, Banda Municipal de Acosta, Zarcero Municipal Band, Band Liceo de San Carlos , Palmares Youth Band, Band Guanacasteca Union, Cantonal Youth Band Limon, Banda Communal Fortune, Sinem Marching Band Nicoya, Francisco J. Youth Band Band Sarchí Orlich and Cedes Don Bosco.

These are all marching bands and practice for months prepping for this event.

If you are looking for activities to do when living or visiting Costa Rica this December…..the Festival of Lights is a must see.

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Spain interested in financing metropolitan train in Costa Rica

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The Spanish government offers a long-term loan of $300 million.

Costa Rican Vice President Luis Liberman said Wednesday following a trip to Spain that the government of that country is interested in financing an electric train that connects the provinces of Alajuela, San José and Cartago.

Liberman met Monday with government officials who confirmed Spain’s interest in signing an agreement to provide long-term credit to finance the project. Julio Gómez-Pomar, president of National Network of Spanish Railways, said the Spanish government “is definitely interested in participating in the construction of this project.”

The investment would be up $300 million “if the country chooses 21st century electric trains that transport up to 500 people,” Liberman said.

Ekhart Peters, Costa Rica’s ambassador in Spain, and Miguel Carabaguíaz, president of Costa Rican Railroad Institute, also participated in the meetings.

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How do you become a Costa Rican citizen? New rules apply

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Five types of citizenship procedures are now available. Which one applies to you?

Foreigners legally residing in Costa Rica and wanting to become citizens must go to the Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) in San José as part of a new regulation.

Beginning this week all interested residents can choose one of five types of citizenship procedures: Naturalization for those over 25 years old, born in Costa Rica and child of foreign parents; naturalization for those over 25 years of age; born abroad from Costa Rican parents; naturalization per residence for those who have lived for at least twenty years in Costa Rica; naturalization by marriage with a Costa Rican national; and naturalization for residence.

Detailed information on each procedure may be found at TSE’s website: www.tse.go.cr  (Spanish only).

The naturalization office is open to the public on weekdays from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The new regulation was published last month in the government’s newspaper La Gaceta.

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7th annual theater festival upon us

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Performances and workshops taking place across the city.

The Little Theatre Group will put on "Looking for the Pony" during the Festival of National Theater this month.

The first 28 days of October mark the nation’s seventh annual Festival of National Theater, or the Encuentro Nacional de Teatro.  This year’s festival also overlaps with the Central American Showcase.

Founded in 2005 by a group of people from different theater institutions, the Encuentro Nacional de Teatro seeks to promote theater in Costa Rica through screening performances from different national theater groups and providing theater workshops at both the professional and amateur level.

This year’s event will feature national performances, workshops and discussions in the city’s main theaters, Melico Salazar, Teatro La Aduana and Teatro 1887 del CENAC. As part of the Central American Showcase, there will also be shows from Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panamá.

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