The short version
- El Vocero reports that Toa Baja offers visitors the Virgilio Dávila plaza founded in 1745, a boxing champions monument and the San Pedro Apóstol parish with its unique orientation
- According to El Vocero the municipality enables space on PR-165 for cyclists, runners, walkers and skaters on Sunday mornings and promotes the Ruta del Encanto coastal route
- El Vocero states that Punta Salinas beach features recreational areas, a lake and pine forest while Isla de Cabras offers views of San Juan Bay and El Morro
- Primera Hora reported that Mayor Bernardo “Betito” Márquez García is working with Sabana Seca Partners on a private runway project with an initial $1 million private investment
Tourism attractions
Toa Baja combines history, sports, coastal landscapes and gastronomy, El Vocero reported on Oct. 28. A visit can begin at the plaza pública Virgilio Dávila, founded in 1745, which is linked to the Río La Plata and the relocation of the original settlement to higher ground. The plaza includes a monument with a bronze ring and four statues honoring Puerto Rican boxing champions Edwin “El Chapo” Rosario, Santo “Chino” Cardona, Emmanuel “Manny” Rodríguez and Samuel “Torbellino” Serrano. https://www.elvocero.com/travesia/toa-baja-a-otro-ritmo-deporte-historia-y-sabor/article_ea2e93b7-dd80-4be5-8737-d32906798d35.html
Near the plaza stands the San Pedro Apóstol parish, whose orientation and history, including a tunnel that once connected it to city hall, the mayor described to El Vocero. The municipality also maintains a Museo de la Salsa that displays objects linked to salsa figures including a collection related to Celia Cruz and is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., El Vocero reported.
For active visitors the mayor told El Vocero that the municipality enables space on PR-165 for cyclists, runners, walkers and skaters from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Sundays. Another option is the Ruta del Encanto coastal route between Isla de Cabras and Punta Salinas, which includes the Puente de la Bandera. In Levittown the Venecia Llanera canals, spanning about three miles with pedestrian connections, allow walking, running or family outings, according to the mayor in the same report.
Also on PuertoRico.com: San Juan travel guide
Airport development plans
Toa Baja is advancing a private airport project at the former Sabana Seca naval base that could position the municipality in aviation and generate economic development, Primera Hora reported on Oct. 26. Mayor Bernardo “Betito” Márquez García confirmed conversations with Víctor González of Sabana Seca Partners, LLC, to expand an area into a runway for which they already hold Federal Aviation Administration permits. https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/notas/toa-baja-se-enfoca-en-hacer-despegar-su-aeropuerto-privado/
The mayor told Primera Hora that the owners hold approximately 1,200 cuerdas on the north track, where the runway would be built, and 300 cuerdas on the south track. The initial private investment is estimated at $1 million and could reach $15 million in the future. The project would use only the north track; the full 1,500 cuerdas are the owners’ total land holdings at the site.
Where the sources differ
Both sources quote Mayor Bernardo “Betito” Márquez García. El Vocero focuses on tourism, history, boxing, beaches, canals and recreational activities in Toa Baja. Primera Hora reports exclusively on the private airport project at the former Sabana Seca base, initial investment figures, FAA permits, talks with the Ports Authority and potential jobs. The sources do not overlap in content.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state when the private runway might begin operations, whether it will eventually become commercial, the exact number of direct jobs to be created, or any timeline for construction beyond noting that regulations take time. They also do not specify how many restaurants operate on Boulevard avenue or detail current visitor numbers to the listed sites.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Toa Baja se enfoca en hacer despegar su aeropuerto privado
- Reporting Toa Baja a otro ritmo: Deporte, historia y sabor
- Reporting Toa Baja se enfoca en hacer despegar su aeropuerto privado
How we checked this
El Vocero described Toa Baja’s tourism offerings and recreational spaces while Primera Hora reported the mayor’s statements on the airport project. All details on the runway, investment and economic projections rest on the single Primera Hora interview with Mayor Márquez García.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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