Fate of former U.S. embassy close to being sealed
In spite of protests from many quarters, the former United States. embassy on Avenida Balboa will soon be under the wreckers hammer.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance has awarded the$284,000 contract for the demolition of the historic building to Administradora de Proyectos de Construcción. {jathumbnail off}
Only the comptroller stands between government and the anti demolitionists. Once the ok is given, the company will have three months to complete the work.
The government plans to use the embassy site to build a 70-story office tower that will house mostly public and some private offices. President Martinelli will have an office on the 62nd floor. At more than 300 meters, the building will be one of the tallest in Latin America.
The project has been criticized by groups who think the embassy should have been preserved and there have been calls for it to be used as a national museum, something sadly lacking in Panama.
