What Happened
Residents in about 70 neighborhoods around Condado del Rey, in the district of San Miguelito, are voicing concern over the renewed push for the Vista Azul urban development, a project that had been stalled for more than a decade amid objections about pressure on already strained public infrastructure and on local quality of life.
The development was approved in 2011 through an Esquema de Ordenamiento Territorial, or EOT, under Resolution 223-2011 issued by the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning on May 16, 2011. The master plan covers a polygon of at least 200 hectares and extends across areas in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, on both sides of the Corredor Norte.
Two parcels within Vista Azul, owned by Grupo Arango, are now being developed by MS Norte, S.A. The company has held community meetings to explain the first phase, known as Condado Norte, parcels 2 and 3, which includes a road connection from Corredor Norte.
Why Neighbors Are Worried
Residents say the biggest concern is the use of rock excavation and possible blasting to open roads and prepare the land for construction. They fear cracking, landslides and structural damage to nearby homes, especially in a sector that already deals with heavy traffic and urban density.
Jaime Sousa, a resident of Country Heights 1000, said the company began distributing flyers about a month and a half ago inviting neighbors to informational meetings. At those meetings, MS Norte described a project area that would include future vehicle access works near the corridor and development on parcels 2 and 3.
According to the presentation shared with residents, the project could include about 15 residential towers housing at least 1,500 people. Nearby communities already include Condado del Rey, Altos de Panamá, Altos de María, Limajo and Horizonte, where the 2023 census counted 6,613 residents, before the recent growth of additional neighborhoods and apartment buildings.
Traffic, Density and Property Values
Residents also fear the project will worsen congestion in a zone that is already a key alternate route for drivers heading to Vía Centenario. Sousa said the planned public road would run behind Altos de Panamá, beside PH Country Heights and exit toward the street serving Villa Vizcaya.
The company’s plans include earthmoving, land leveling, internal streets, potable water, sewer, storm drainage and electrical networks, along with construction waste management and cleanup work. Before that stage, the company says it is carrying out citizen participation surveys for the Category II environmental impact study that will later be submitted to Miambiente for review.
Neighbors are also worried about the value of their properties, saying many families made major investments in the area and do not want those investments put at risk by a large-scale urban project next door.
Local Permits and Next Steps
Officials have said the approved EOT does not authorize immediate construction. Several steps still have to be completed, including approval of the preliminary design, plans and the environmental study for the first phase.
According to presentations given to residents, the access from Corredor Norte received approval from authorities in 2015 and carries seals from the Land Transit and Transportation Authority. The San Miguelito mayor’s office has said the Vista Azul projects have not yet reached the municipal approval stage and that any construction permit request submitted will be communicated to the community.
For now, residents are organizing to respond to the project through legal and technical channels, and they are considering hiring specialists and creating a local development board to confront the planned works.