Residents and social organizations of the La Boca neighborhood, the most famous and traditional in the city of Buenos Aires, as well as all over the world, are on alert and mobilization regarding the sale and possible closure of the so-called Playon de la Boca, the property located on the corner of Gral Aráoz de Lamadrid and Del Valle Iberlucea streets, just 100 meters from Caminito. An undisputed reference in international tourism, next to the Alberto J. Armando stadium, La Bombonera, of course.
Aware of this situation, social leaders from the neighborhood association La Boca Resiste y Propone, FC Playón, whose children’s and futsal teams train there, and other neighborhood groups, are planning a march on Saturday afternoon from Puente Trasbordador to that corner to clarify the situation that exists among those who attend the place. As well as requesting reports on the status of property ownership.
To this end, they are calling for the formation of a dialogue table that includes the neighbors, the government of Buenos Aires and the future owner of the space. But in addition, the idea is for the city to secure another property to preserve this vital space in a neighborhood that has been declared a state of environmental and urban emergency.
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After a devastating fire completely destroyed the tenement that stood on that corner in the mid-1990s, the neighbors restored the place and it became a real outdoor social, sports and cultural club. For nearly 30 years, more than 100 boys and teenagers representing FC Blayon have trained and played soccer there. In addition, the Príncipes de la Boca murga team trains there weekly.
Meanwhile, neighbors continue to be concerned, especially because of rumors that a company may be interested in developing a project there related to the Arts District and the rise in international tourism.
“As a father and a neighbor who has lived in La Boca for 43 years, this is a shame. The beach is a place that contains neighborhood children,” said Fabian Cabrera, place authority and children’s section coach for the team representing the property.
“We’ve been taking care of this place for 35 years and no one has ever shown up. Only now, with all the tourism boom and the arrival of new companies, has a company emerged that claims to own the place.”
Regarding the real estate transaction, Cabrera said that Antunez Vega’s company offered the property for $650,000. Without hiding his anger and anxiety, he asked, “Even though they offered to buy the property, where will we get this money from? It is impossible for us.” “In mid-November, overnight, we discovered that it had been sold. Until now, there has been no official confirmation of the sale, and no one came with the papers confirming its ownership.”
During the conversation, Cabrera said that one day a truck arrived carrying an architect and workers to fence the place, but when they saw that it was a field, they gave up and left. “The architect told us they had to fence a vacant lot. But when they saw what the place really looked like, they turned around and left.”
Aware of this information, PERFIL contacted the real estate agency, which finally confirmed the operation.
“Actually, the place was sold. Arlo SA was the previous owner and sold it. It was a process between private parties,” confirmed Jorge Antunez Vega, partner in the real estate company of the same name. When asked about the new buyers, Antunez Vega declined to reveal the name of the new owners.
“The only thing we ask is to sit at a working table with the city government and with the real owner, because until now there is no clear documentation. We want Playon to remain a cultural heritage, a space open to the public like a square. It has been like this for 35 years,” concluded our neighbor and reference Playone de la Boca.