THE SCOOP ON PLAYA
If you have walked along 5th Avenue in the past year or two, you have probably spotted some mysterious construction going on around 14th Street. Rumors have been floating around Playa del Carmen for a while, but now all of our questions are answered: The new Calle Corazon will be a large outdoor shopping center and hotel!
The project’s construction can now be seen above the walls lining 5th Avenue, showing two beautiful half-moon buildings with a street running between them – the new Calle Corazon (which means “Heart Street”). We can see a new H&M store as well as a Sephora makeup store right on 5th.
Street signs outside the construction site indicate the arrival of popular American stores like Bath & Body Works, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Victoria’s Secret. It’s still unclear if this Victoria’s Secret will sell lingerie or only perfumes and accessories.
The project is being created by developer Thor Urbana Capital. Their website says, “Experience Playa like never before” and includes a list of what we can expect to see at the new Calle Corazon mall: Over 40 retail and restaurant spaces, in addition to a 199-room lifestyle boutique hotel by the Thompson brand. Stores and restaurants will include H&M, Steve Madden, Vince Camuto, Sunglass Hut, Gran Vía, Hollister, Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, Swarovski, Sephora, Michael Kors, Puma, Onda de Mar, Cantina la No. 20, Catch, Sonora Prime, Neve Gelato, Nunnys and Starbucks. For all the details, click here to visit the Thor Urbana Capital website.
Now, you can even visit Calle Corazon’s website at CalleCorazon.com to see renderings of the new mall and learn more about their plans.
H&M is hosting its grand opening tonight (Thursday, August 27), and the rest of Calle Corazon will open later in the year.
Personally, even after almost 2 years, I am still saddened about the loss of the original Calle Corazon, one of Playa del Carmen's most beloved and beautiful landmarks. I know many of you who have been living in Playa del Carmen or visiting the city for a while feel the same way. However, I'm a little ashamed to admit that I am pretty excited to finally have stores like H&M and Bath and Body Works right here in Playa. As expats from Canada or the USA or beyond, we are often complaining about having to bring some of our favorite products in our luggage whenever we return to Playa, and now there is less need for shopping trips back home. I still miss the old Calle Corazon, but I can't deny that I will be shopping at the new one.