In just a few years, this tiny non-profit has made a huge difference to Mazatlan’s historic area

Veronica Rico remembers a time, not too long ago, when she roller-skated in the then-deserted Plaza Machado. There were no restaurants, no music festivals and no tourists thronging the streets and sidewalks.

“Ten years ago, this area was abandoned. When I was in high school my friends didn’t want to come here,” she recalled.

Now her friends love to come to Centro Historico, especially the Plaza Machado, where a vibrant culture of live music, art and theatre, restaurants, shops, galleries and more has rejuvenated the area. Gorgeous restored colonial buildings line the streets in every direction, and popular events like the ArtWalk, Cine en la Calle and this month’s cultural festival allow visitors to explore and experience the beauty of this historic area on foot.

“Now, young people are coming back,” said Veronica, director of the Proyecto Centro Historico, the non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and protect the area. “Before, they would go away to school and then not come back. And new residents came and brought renewed pride to the neighborhood.”

Veronica still lives just a few blocks from the plaza. After graduating with a degree in Marketing from Tech de Monterey, she began looking for work with a non-profit. Meanwhile, her sister Alejandra was working as Director of PCH. Veronica had helped her over the years with various projects, and so when Alejandra left to complete her Masters in Arts Management in the U.S., it seemed a logical move for Veronica to step in to the position.

That was more than a year ago, and since then the determined, optimistic young woman has made her presence known. The only paid employee of PCH, she answers to a Board of Directors of local business people and advocates, headed by Alfredo Gomez Rubio, owner of the landmark restaurant Pedro & Lola’s. Established in 2002, PCH has four main components: Organization (of volunteers); Economic Restoration (assisting new and existing businesses); Design (architectural guidelines); and Promotion (events and activities).

PCH is modeled on the Main Street Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based program that assists downtowns in regaining their relevance to the community as the centers of commerce, activity and everyday life. It was Alfredo who thought to explore MSI, after the 479 buildings on the 180 blocks of Mazatlan’s Centro Historico were declared a Patrimonio de la Nacion, a national landmark, in 2001.

Principal projects to date include tens of thousands of dollars to support and maintain the Angela Peralta Theater; a variety of historical preservation programs, (including being the local arm of the federal group IANH) to assist homeowners with paint colors, architectural styles, etc.; creation and maintenance of an informative web page, www.mazatlancentrohistorico.com; working with API to maintain and restore the malecon in Olas Altas; creating and installing street and historical signs; installation of imbedded ambient lighting around the Plaza Machado and surrounding streets (soon to spread to Olas Altas and other neighborhoods); and the restoration of Iglesia de San Jose. PCH also promotes and sponsors a host of annual and special events.

Working out of a small office upstairs in the Plaza Machado, Veronica’s always busy. Current projects include installing new, diffused street lights along the malecon in Olas Altas; working with local, state and federal officials to have all electric lines from the Plaza Machado to Olas Altas moved underground, a tremendous undertaking; and completing a 20-year redevelopment plan to ensure protection of Centro Historico’s historical buildings and landmarks.

On the top of her pile right now is the new Neighborhood Watch Program she’s setting up in Centro Historico. She’s busy organizing public meetings and working with interested residents and business owners to establish small groups on various streets in the area. Periodic workshops on home security and crime prevention are also being planned.

There’s always something to do – and she’s always looking for more volunteers to help.

“I like that the community gets involved,” Veronica said. She’s seen that it’s often a tiny thing that inspires people – if one neighbor plants flowers in front of their house, others will, too. Another example is that after PCH installed the ambient sidewalk lighting, illuminating the façades of the buildings in the Plaza Machado, many homeowners followed suit.

Her personal goals are few but specific: she’d like to see better enforcement of existing rules and regulations – about construction, remodeling, signage, building use, noise, etc. – and see that information become available easier, and to more people. She’d also like to see the state and municipal government more involved, and thinks that attention and pressure from residents can be useful in accomplishing this.

“I like the purpose of Proyecto Centro Historico,” said Veronica. “This is my town, my space, and I want the best for it.”

Want to volunteer, donate or need more information? Contact Veronica Rico at 985-4980, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or www.mazatlancentrohistorico.com. The Proyecto Centro Historico office is upstairs above Pedro & Lola restaurant in the Plaza Machado; enter through the jewelry store doors. Best to call first!