The Popular Calle Sexta in Tijuana is Getting a Major Facelift

By Ángel García

If you visit Calle Sexta or 6th Street in downtown Tijuana, whether by day or in its busy nightlife, you will have noticed that, for some weeks now, a lot of work is being done in this famous area.

This is because the street is being prepared for its biggest renovation in decades.

The colorful cantinas and party spots in the street, the most in the downtown area of Tijuana , is getting a series of public work updates, specifically: Sidewalks will be expanded to be five meters (15 ft. approximately) wide on each side, with greenery, new street lighting, undergrounding power lines, public benches, updated signage and more.

All this as part of the urban image improvement project promoted by the state government in conjunction with federal programs like the "Pueblos Mágicos" (Magical Towns) funds.

As a way to see the project in its final stage, a banner was hung on the corner of 6th Street, where you can see a render of the final result.

This banner has generated a lot of surprise, and at the same time, much controversy on social media, since the render shows very different facades for all those "picturesque" places that project a strong personality that people really love, such as "La Mezcalera", "El Tropics", "El Chips" ,and el "Dandy's del Sur." Many fear that the grimy, rundown and "authentic" ambiance of the street will be lost if what they see on the render becomes reality.

The scenario will be totally different than the one we know, and the changes are going to turn the street in what it looks like a strip mall in the United States, at least that's what some of the comments about the project say.

However, it's worth noting that the banner is a possible way the project will end up renovating the street. While the implementation of new sidewalks, signs, a park and underground power lines are now underway, giving businesses on the street a facelift is part of a separate program.

The Ministry of Tourism is seeking to promote this project so it becomes somewhat like the image above, inviting the owners of the places to ask for the necessary funds to make it happen, through a federal program.

So far 11 of the 16 property owners in the area have agreed on remodeling, including some between Av. Revolución and Madero (the main nightlife section of La Sexta) who have already signaled they want the available resources for transforming their facades.

Due to this, do not be surprised that in a few months you can see a radical change in the street's image. Just, not necessarily just like the render. Although we're told each owner will have most of the say in how their businesses will end up looking, there will be some guidelines.

With an investment of 21 million pesos (around 2 million dollars), the renovation work on everything, besides the storefronts, will end in November.