Over the last few weeks, residents of Jaco Beach have seen construction crews busy at work behind the Johannes Dankers Municipal Recreational Park. They are building a large outdoor structure… Read more » Continue reading →
Over the last few weeks, residents of Jaco Beach have seen construction crews busy at work behind the Johannes Dankers Municipal Recreational Park. They are building a large outdoor structure that was supposed to be part of a development package to host the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, which is still taking place in Costa Rica but not in Jaco Beach. Residents and visitors of this beach resort town will soon enjoy a brand-new amphitheater.
Proposals for a large sound stage and amphitheater to support the performing arts in Jaco Beach dates back to the days before the Wall Street Crash of 2008 and the Great American Recession. The reputation of Jaco Beach as a prime surfing spot kicked into high gear in the early 21st century, and tournament organizers became interested in bringing major international competitions. This resulted in Costa Rica hosting the 2009 World Surfing Games, but the amphitheater was not built back then.
The problem in getting projects such as the seawall, boardwalk, the Johannes Dankers Municipal Recreational Park, and now the amphitheater, has always been municipal budget. The Municipality of the Garabito Canton, province of Puntarenas, had expected substantial funding from the major resorts in Jaco beach, but a good chunk of that promised money failed to materialize after the global financial crisis gained momentum in early 2009. Another snag in the process was losing hosting rights to the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
In the end, the municipality reached into its coffers to come up with more than $3 million to complete some of the projects, and the amphitheater should be completed in a few weeks. This outdoor stage and performance space will be used to organize a variety of musical acts and other public events for the benefit of residents and the many tourists who visit Jaco Beach throughout the year.