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 commer

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