Resilient Hubs

The Estuary facilitates the preparation of Resilient Centers for disasters through the installation of solar-powered electricity systems, clean and safe water, first aid equipment, and energy-efficient appliances, among other things. These Resilient Centers in the Estuary serve as empowerment spaces and refuges, if needed, during emergencies.

Introduction

On this page you will find key information about the Estuary's Resilient Centers: Antiguo Ancón de Loíza, Centro Comunal Puente Blanco, Centro Cultural de Caimito, Taller Comunidad La Goyco, and the Estuary Visitor Center in Old San Juan. They are participating in the development of the Estuary's watershed-level mitigation plan.

Map of Resilient Centers

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Estuary Nursery

Coastal Resilience community project

Estuario Nursery is a collaboration between the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership and the Ricky Martin Foundation's TAU Center to strengthen the resilience of our coastal ecosystems and communities. In this space, we educate communities about planting and caring for species that can be used to restore our sand dunes, mangroves and other coastal ecosystems.

Caring for our coastal ecosystems allows them to provide us with a rich variety of services. Ecosystem services include filtering and keeping water clean, and protecting us from the impacts of coastal erosion, storm surges, and other natural hazards that put life and property at risk in our communities. Healthy ecosystems lead to safe communities.

Investment of $40,000 supported by EPA grant CE99206925.

Old Ancon of Loíza

The Resilient Center in Loíza is located in the historic Ancón area on the banks of the Río Grande de Loíza. The Resilient Center offers the first Estuary Nursery, cultural activities, and workshops on social well-being and the environment. The Estuary supports the communities by providing them with drinking water through a desalination plant, which extracts water from the estuary to produce potable water. Training is offered to community youth on the use of the plant, along with leadership programs and green infrastructure workshops.

“Educating, raising awareness, and empowering are the best tools to achieve community resilience.”

Alex Villegas, Community Resilience Coordinator in the Estuary

The Ancón de Loíza Collective is a non-profit, community-based organization working to preserve the historic area where the old Ancón de Loíza once flowed, for the enjoyment of all Puerto Ricans and visitors. The Ancón Collective works for the development and sustainability of Loíza through culture, its relationship with water, and the Río Grande de Loíza.

Puente Blanco Community Center

The Resilient Center in Cataño is located north of the estuary watershed, in the Puente Blanco Community Center, adjacent to the Las Cucharillas Marsh. Its resilience is based on its ability to continue operating during power outages, thanks to the installation of a solar power generation system and energy storage batteries by the San Juan Bay Estuary Authority. The Resilient Center is equipped with materials for emergency management, awareness campaigns, and community empowerment for responding to emergencies. The Center also offers laundry facilities and a community kitchen with a refrigerator for storing residents' food and medications.

“From the first approach, the Estuary has been a model of good procedures for community development and has shown unconditional support when our community has needed it.”

Wanda I. Figueroa Rivera, community leader and director of the organization Comunidad Organizada de Puente Blanco, Inc.

The Estuary has partnered with the Puente Blanco Organized Community (COPB), an organization incorporated in 2009 but actively working since 1999, promoting education as a tool for community empowerment. Its headquarters are located in the Puente Blanco Community Center on the main street of that community. There, they offer tutoring, extracurricular activities, recreational activities, and environmental education.

Caimito Cultural Center

The Caimito Resilient Center is located in the southern part of the Estuary's watershed, where the Piedras River originates. It provides a space for area residents to manage emergencies, receive social welfare support, and participate in water quality assessments of the Estuary system. Its resilience lies in its ability to continue operating even without electricity, thanks to the installation of a solar power generation system and energy storage batteries by the San Juan Bay Estuary Authority. The Center also offers laundry facilities and a community kitchen. Residents can refrigerate their medications at the Center, and educational workshops are offered.

The Caimito Cultural Center began in 1990 when the community met in a community assembly. Led by Sister Teresa Géigel, they decided to create a center that would strengthen the identity of the neighborhood and of Puerto Rican people. Initially, they met at the Sor Isolina Ferré Center. In 1991, after their first assembly, the Department of Recreation and Sports transferred ownership of their current headquarters, located in the heart of Caimito. Estuario and the Caimito Cultural Center reached a collaborative agreement in 2018, following an unexpected alliance formed as a result of Hurricane Maria in 2017.

La Goyco Community Workshop

The La Goyco Resilient Center is located on Loíza Street, in the former Pedro G. Goyco School. The center's resilience is based on its ability to continue operating during power outages, thanks to the installation of a solar panel system, a community kitchen, laundry facilities, emergency response equipment, and materials for raising awareness and empowering citizens to respond to emergencies for the benefit of the community. In addition, the center offers workshops, tours, and support for the community's cultural, creative, and environmental activities.

“…the space serves as a meeting place, workshops and a starting point for efforts that seek to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood, including core issues such as garbage collection and sewer problems.”

Mariana Reyes Angleró, executive director of the La Goyco Community Workshop, Machuchal neighborhood, Santurce

The La Goyco Community Workshop is a cultural and community project created by a group of residents of Loíza Street in the Machuchal neighborhood of Santurce. It is based in the former Pedro G. Goyco School, where the community gathers to enjoy cultural events, meet, and participate in educational and environmental awareness activities. Its leaders have worked since 2015 to make this an increasingly recognized and valued space for meeting, recreation, and learning.

Estuary Visitor Center in Old San Juan

The Estuary Visitor Center is a space available for community use, to offer and/or host educational workshops and talks. The Visitor Center welcomes citizens and school communities from all over Puerto Rico.

At our Visitor Center, you'll find art and science exhibits showcasing our projects, as well as our Water Bar. There, you can also enjoy our Pedro A. Gelabert Library, named after the Chairman of our Board of Directors, who has been instrumental in establishing important environmental agencies, cleanup protocols, and cost estimates for massive oil spills. The Pedro A. Gelabert Library features a collection of books specializing in scientific and environmental topics, a computer with internet access, and a memory game module about endemic birds. Our center also serves as the Estuary's administrative office. We look forward to your visit!