Parque Calderón Gets an $800K Makeover: What Expats Need to Know About the Construction

If you've walked through Parque Calderón after a rain and nearly wiped out on the slippery tile, this one's for you. The municipality has started a major renovation of Cuenca's most iconic public space—and the work is already underway.

What's Happening

Crews began tearing up the old floor tiles on January 26, kicking off an $800,000 project to replace the surface of the entire park. The existing tile, which becomes dangerously slick when wet, is being swapped out for new slip-resistant flooring.

But the project goes beyond cosmetics. Workers are also:

• Upgrading the lighting system throughout the park
• Replacing underground drainage infrastructure (the hidrosanitaria network beneath the surface)
• Improving accessibility to make the park more inclusive for people with mobility challenges

How It Works: The Quadrant System

According to José Patiño, Director of Public Works, the park has been divided into four quadrants. Workers will complete one section at a time, spending roughly six weeks on each before moving to the next. Temporary fencing surrounds the active work zone.

The key point for daily life: the park is not closing. You can still walk through, sit on benches in the open sections, and access the surrounding streets and businesses as usual. Traffic patterns around the plaza are not changing either.

The Heritage Angle

Before a single tile could be lifted, the municipality had to satisfy the Instituto Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural (INPC). Because Parque Calderón sits in the heart of Cuenca's UNESCO World Heritage historic center, a georadar study was required to check for archaeological remains beneath the surface.

The study found no significant artifacts down to three meters deep, clearing the way for construction. The renovation took about a year of planning and technical studies before breaking ground.

What Comes Next

Public Works Director Xavier Aguirre has described this as "a first phase." Future stages could extend improvements to surrounding streets and plazas, potentially in coordination with the city's mobility department. He noted the project doesn't rule out eventual pedestrianization of the area around the park—something that's been discussed for years.

For Expats

If Parque Calderón is part of your daily routine—morning coffee at a nearby café, afternoon strolls, meeting friends by the cathedral—expect some visual clutter from construction barriers but no major disruption. The renovation should wrap up around mid-2026.

The end result should be a safer, better-lit, more accessible version of the same plaza. And no more skating across wet tile in your sandals.

Source: El Mercurio