Bronx Creative District: Toward Strengthening Creative Industries in Bogotá

Read the original version in Spanish here.

Published on September 07, 2021

The technical, legal, and financial structuring of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for the Bronx Creative District (BDC) project will be carried out by a consortium of three leading project structuring firms: Currie & Brown Mexico, Durán & Osorio Abogados, and Ernst & Young for the financial component. The Bronx Creative District aims to boost the economic and social revitalization of downtown Bogotá through art, culture, creativity, innovation, heritage, and memory.

Over the next 24 months, the structuring team will develop the maintenance and operation model for Creative Module 1 (MC1). This module consists of Assets of Cultural Interest (BIC), including the Recruitment Battalion (the former School of Medicine), “La Flauta” (the former Museum of Geology), and the public space “La Milla.” Additionally, they will define the model for the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of Creative Module 2 (MC2), which comprises the Creative Building and “La Esquina Redonda,” set to become a collaborative laboratory for creation and memory open to the city.

Margarita Díaz, director of the Gilberto Alzate Avendaño Foundation (FUGA), explains that the Bronx Creative District is designed to drive economic development in the city center. As the project nears realization, she notes that 24 months of inter-institutional work lie ahead, supported by partners and the local community itself.

Meanwhile, Juan Guillermo Jiménez Gómez, manager of the Urban Renovation and Development Company of Bogotá (ERU), mentions that the entire project—including public works, current structuring, and acquired properties—represents an investment of 176 billion pesos and will generate around 982 direct and indirect jobs.

Within the framework of the District Development Plan, the Bronx Creative District is led by FUGA in agreement with the ERU. It is part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at valuing and revitalizing downtown Bogotá by inviting citizens to engage with memory and heritage.

Bronx Creative District: Under Construction but Open to the Community

The BDC team is constantly seeking activities to integrate the local community and the general public. “Fúgate al Bronx” is an initiative featuring guest musicians and theater performers, artists from the Los Mártires community, children's reading workshops, recreational and leisure activities, and the participation of the Smart Truck offering exercise and physical activity sessions.

The project aims to transform underutilized areas into flexible, collaborative spaces for local artists, creatives, cultural managers, and artisans skilled in traditional trades. It also seeks to support entrepreneurs in the city's cultural and creative economy.

Currently, the BDC Community Engagement Pavilion is under development, while the BOO Consortium (consisting of Juan Pablo Ortiz, Daniel Bonilla, and Max Ojeda) is advancing studies and designs for structural reinforcement and retrofitting of the project's two Assets of Cultural Interest (BIC)—the former National University School of Medicine and “La Flauta”—as well as the “La Milla” public space. Progress is also being made on emergency stabilization works for the “La Flauta” building. Located opposite the Recruitment Battalion, this historic structure was at risk of collapse; these completed works prevent further deterioration, preparing it for the comprehensive heritage interventions currently being designed.

By 2023, the process to select a private developer with the expertise, capacity, and resources required to operate the project is expected to begin. Juan Guillermo Jiménez Gómez maintains that the entire complex—which includes the Bronx Creative District, the Los Mártires Local Hall, and the Creative Talent Center Building—will generate a vital ecosystem for creation, entrepreneurship, and the city's youth.