The Parque Central Complex, a housing and commercial urban development, is pictured in Caracas, Venezuela September 12, 2022. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

By Vivian Sequera

CARACAS (Reuters) -For the first residents of Parque Central in Caracas, moving into the futuristic, vertical "city within a city" was the dream of an emerging Venezuelan middle class. Now, after decades of decay, a new effort is underway to restore the renowned complex.

Planned in 1969 and inaugurated in stages over the following decade, Parque Central was built on 30 hectares (74 acres) in the heart of the capital. It includes seven 20-floor residential buildings and two 59-floor office towers, which stood as the tallest in Latin America until the early 2000s.

However, years of a profound economic crisis left the sprawling project in a state of neglect, with many facilities falling into disrepair. The site features an abandoned hotel, a church, more than 1,000 commercial units, a recycling plant and parking for 2,000 cars.

Destroyed wooden ceilings and broken granite floors are still visible, and the East Tower has yet to be fully repaired after a fire in 2004.

"This was beautiful, this was a city right here," said Arelys Bernal, 69, a retiree who has lived in the complex since it opened.

The estimated 17,000 residents have long endured unsanitary conditions.

"Everything that living in those conditions means ... far beyond aesthetics, it becomes a problem of hygiene and health," said Jose Luis Huici, a 62-year-old percussionist who has lived there for 16 years.

Responding to resident pleas about water leaks, poor lighting and crime in abandoned basements, authorities began revitalization work in April 2024.

Franklin Garcia, president of Corporacion Capital, the state entity managing the project, said the work is a priority. "This is an emblematic building," Garcia noted.

So far, workers have waterproofed the roofs of all seven residential buildings, installed 10,000 new lamps and are now removing 2.5 tons of garbage daily. Efforts have also begun to repair leaks inside individual apartments, including a persistent water issue in Huici's bathroom that was addressed last August.

Pablo Molina, an architect and urban studies professor at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), notes that Parque Central was conceived for an "emerging middle class" at a time of abundant oil resources.

He cautions that maintaining such mega-projects "is unfeasible over time in developing countries," due to the complexity of their management and economic instability.

For residents, however, the recent improvements signal a new beginning.

"As a Caracas native, that brings great satisfaction because it is an icon of the city," Huici said. "Hopefully, it can continue like this."

(Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Johnny Carvajal; Writing by Camille Ayral; Editing by Kylie Madry and Lincoln Feast.)