The First Shoveling occurred on the morning of February 13, 2020. For Grupo Colonias it was extremely gratifying to be able to share with partners, family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and important members of the country - including the President of the Republic - the ceremony of the first shoveling of our most innovative and ambitious project to date: Ciudad Porta Norte.

There are events that mark important moments and leave traces in people's lives. Just as a person celebrates life milestones such as birth, birthdays and spiritual ceremonies. Real estate projects also celebrate milestones that mark their history and fill everyone with memories. The groundbreaking ceremony is one such milestone and it was a masterful event.

A month has passed since that memorable moment and we want to tell you what we experienced.

As with any important event, the Grupo Colonias team had spent a long time planning every detail to make sure everything was perfect. A lot of effort, effort and heart had been put into making the event memorable for all the guests. We wanted a celebration that was different and true to Porta Norte's style; one that reflected the personality of the project and its vibe.

At 7:30 a.m. the first guests began to arrive, even though the invitation said that the event would start at 8:00 a.m. It was a surprise for us because, as we Panamanians know, punctuality is not something usual in our culture. We then had the pleasure of being able to talk and share with the guests before the event formally began.

Upon receiving them, the reaction was unanimous: "Hey, I got here in less than 15 minutes!", "I thought the project was further away and I got here so fast!", "This is so much closer than I thought!", "It took me no time at all and I left so early thinking it was going to be a much longer walk!".

Everyone was amazed at how easily and quickly they arrived at Porta Norte. The turnout exceeded our expectations; it was a great success! In addition, all the guests were amazed with the magnitude of the development that is taking place in the area of Panama Norte; the new development pole of the capital.

The event was held in an open roofed structure so that everyone could appreciate the magnitude of the construction. We greeted everyone with a Panama Hat to get them into character (we had 150 and ran out before the speeches started. Everyone wanted their Panama Hat!). We also had a Lavazza coffee station, a mixologist with refreshing drinks, a trolley with an iconic Chinese breakfast from Lung Fung and, to give it that urban feel we want to develop, we had a Food Truck serving freshly made Panamanian breakfast boquitas to everyone's delight.

For Grupo Colonias, Ciudad Porta Norte represents an evolution in the history of Panama City, where the first city was what we know today as Panama Viejo. Then, the city moved to the Casco Antiguo and today we are moving it to Ciudad Porta Norte. With this we will make the city evolve once again, rescuing those old values and the sense of neighbourhood and community with the neighbours through the concept of New Urbanism with which the project is developed. We put the pedestrian first, developing multiple public spaces, creating a diverse, mixed city with a close link to nature. That is why we call Porta Norte "The New Old Town".

To convey this idea we partnered for this event with Diego de Obaldía - creator of the Panamanian musical 1903, who was very excited about the project when we told him about our concept, as we share the vision of enhancing Panama's legacy. Diego gave a few words at the beginning of the ceremony with a video in which he spoke about his support for the project.

Throughout the event we had the virtual presence of the characters of María Ossa de Amador, Manuel Amador Guerrero and Phillipe Buneau-Varilla, who invited people to learn more about this project that reminds them of those values and feelings that they lived at the beginning of our homeland.

Miss Anyoli Ábrego did us the honour of being our mistress of ceremony and graciously introduced the two speakers of the event. Henry Faarup Mauad, president and founder of Grupo Colonias spoke about the feat of building the construction site and the concept of the new city:

"In Ciudad Porta Norte we recognise that it is important to rescue neighbourhood life. That which has been lost over the years. That is why we have decided to focus on creating public spaces that can be filled with life, because these are the spaces where a city's culture flourishes.

Then, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, gave some words that came from his heart:

"We are here today, giving a formal start to a project that is indeed different, very different. This is a project that, I have no doubt, is going to be successful, that is going to be a benchmark not only for Panama, but a benchmark for the region.

Both of them delighted us with their speeches and we would like to share them with you, as it was also dedicated to all of you.

You can find the full speeches at the end of the article. 👇

After the words of President Laurentino Cortizo, they were invited to the podium where a button was directly connected to the concrete truck. The president gave us the honour of starting the truck, which began pouring concrete, thus giving the formal start to the construction of the streets of Ciudad Porta Norte.

To get to this point in the construction progress we have moved 1.2 million cubic metres - the same amount of earth that was moved to make the Amador Causeway. We have also buried the sanitary, pluvial, drinking water, electricity and communications networks. Now, with this first concrete pour comes everything that will be visible to the naked eye: the streets with their cycle lanes, huge pavements, squares and leafy trees. Now comes the good stuff, what you can enjoy.

What a thrill to see the hard work of 6 years coming to fruition!

After the ceremony was over, you could see the enthusiasm and joy of the people. Ciudad Porta Norte is a different project that lifts the spirits of everyone who hears about it. We were fortunate to be able to continue sharing with several of the guests who asked for tours to get to know the project in depth and were amazed by the surroundings and the magnitude of the work.

Indeed, the event was a resounding success.

With this letter we would like to thank ALL those involved in the construction of this dream. To our partners, the Rojas Pardini family, for becoming part of our family. To all the clients and future clients for believing in us. To all the workers of the project who dedicate their time every day to make it a reality. To all those who helped us to set up the event. To our families for all their support and finally, thanks to all Panamanians and residents of Panama. It is because of you that we dream and who inspired us to create the most innovative and complete project in the country and the region, a city that gives the quality of life that ALL Panamanians deserve.

Ciudad Porta Norte is a city for everyone.

Total Thanks!

If you want to see more photos of the event, you can access our photo gallery by clicking here.

Remarks by Ing. Henry Faarup Mauad

Your Excellency President Laurentino Cortizo, your Excellency Ministers, honourable authorities, friends, partners, colleagues, dear family, neighbours. Thank you for joining us.

Today, 13 February 2020, is just another day in the life of Panamanians. Just a moment in the history of our country. For many of those present, it is a decisive moment to join forces, as our dear President says, in the consolidation of Panama Norte, the new development pole of the capital. I am glad that you have come to see what is being done in North Panama.

501 years ago, in 1519, Panama La Vieja was founded. Then, in 1673, the second foundation of Panama City took place on a peninsula that offered good living conditions, firm ground and the ease of fortifying what is now our beloved Casco Viejo. Now, in the middle of 2020, it is our turn to take the first shovelful of Ciudad Porta Norte under the modern concept of New Urbanism.

Ciudad Porta Norte will not be a mere transit city like the 1st, nor a walled city like the 2nd, but a city with open doors, as is the heart of the Panamanian people. It is an evolution of what Casco Viejo is.

In 1984, the real estate developer Grupo Colonias was founded, which today I lead with my son, Henry Faarup Humbert, who came up with the idea for this City. You can give him all the credit. It will never be forgotten. It was after a trip I took to China in 2015. When I came back, I got a virus and I had a fever for 32 days. I was so sick that I went to the Mayo Clinic in the United States. During that time Henry executed the moves to structure the relationship with urbanist Andrés Duany - who is the father of new urbanism - to create this new concept. When I came, he talked to me. After some resistance, he convinced me. So here we are because of that.

Today I would also like to acknowledge that in 2002, Grupo Colonias was part of the founding of the Convivienda guild. We believe in the Convivienda seal of quality. We have always been aligned with its rules and standards.

In 2014, I returned from representing my country as Panama's Ambassador to France. When we arrived, we met the dear Rojas Pardini family and talked about doing something good for Panama with a real estate development and joined forces.

Together we had the vision to create Porta Norte, a modern colonial town focused on people enjoying an active life, full of culture and with a close link to nature. We are used to connecting with nature and rivers 2 hours away, but here it is 10 minutes from the city centre.

The launch of Ciudad Porta Norte took place at the American Trade Hotel in 2015. Our dear President was present there. Who would have thought that after 5 years he would have the honour of taking the first step of Ciudad Porta Norte as President of the Republic. Right now they see the street, but sometimes people don't realise that to get to this point the most difficult work has been done, which is all the earthworks - more than 1.2 million cubic metres of earth, the sanitary, pluvial, aqueduct, electricity and communications pipes. All of that is already installed. Now we're going to start the street and we're going to do the first shovelful of concrete.

At Ciudad Porta Norte we recognise that it is important to rescue neighbourhood life. That which has been lost over the years. That is why we have decided to focus on creating public spaces that can be filled with life, as these are the spaces where the culture of a city flourishes. That is why today we have the actors of the famous musical 1903 and its director, Diego de Obaldía. This is to symbolise our commitment to culture, our history and Panamanian heritage. As you have already noticed, we like to do things differently.

Ciudad Porta Norte will be built on an area of 262 hectares. It will have an investment of approximately 500 million dollars. There will be spaces for small, medium and large developers to join and become part of this new community. They will be able to make their mark. Like a real city, it needs to be filled with residential, educational, employment, institutional, health care, hotel and recreational components. In this sense, we are proud to announce that, when you least expect it, the construction of Market Plaza Porta Nortea different kind of shopping centre that will become an icon of the sector.

On the way to Porta Norte they have been amazed by the constructions of this new development pole. With infrastructure and communities that provide quality of life for thousands of Panamanian families. The majestic Vía Panamá Norte and the completion of line 2 of the metro system are some of the major infrastructure works that stand out. This has facilitated mobility for thousands of Panamanians, helping them to spend more time together as a family, and has had a direct effect in reducing vehicular traffic.

Mega residential projects such as Paseo del Norte, Green City, Green Valley, La Foresta and the future development of the Shahani family are also under construction. All with our beloved Panama Golf Club as a neighbour.

Moreover, without our realising it, this sector has become the most important educational hub in the country, where more than 15 schools of the highest academic level are present.

Looking at all that is happening, I would like to turn to you, Mr. President. The Government of Panama is the greatest promoter of the country and its leadership rests with you. You are our leader, show us the way. Rest assured that we, the developers and entrepreneurs present here, will follow you.

We believe in Panama. We are investing to help this great train, which represents the country's development, pick up speed. Let us work together to guide it towards a better Panama for all.

It is worth stressing the tremendous capacity for resilience that we Panamanians have. We must continue to be so and to be the region's focal point for development. To do that we all have to think big. We have to open our borders, we have to open them for good people. Let us revive our global position as the Hub of the Americas and as a place for tourism and retirement. Panama is a country that has it all. Believe me, people who come here don't want to leave.

With this first shovelful, we reaffirm our commitment to our homeland, setting an example to the young entrepreneurs present here, so that they can renew their social contribution to the nation. We also want to reaffirm our confidence in the National Government. This first shovelful is a key milestone for Ciudad Porta Norte, for the growth of this new development pole and for the realisation of an ideal quality of life for its future residents.

Thank you very much.

Remarks by President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen

A very good morning to each of you. I did indeed bring a few words... but I'm not going to use them. I want to first thank Henry Faarup, but especially your son, because when you were talking about him, you didn't notice but, I was almost about to pass you the handkerchief because you were drooling. That pride, from father to son, I'm sure is reciprocal, from son to father as well. I congratulate you. The same goes for the Rojas Pardini family. We are talking about a combination of partners, friends, brothers and I'm sure others, who make a great brotherhood in a project of this nature.

I feel honoured to be here, as President of the Republic. I always refer to being the first worker in the country, because these positions are temporary.

In fact, five years ago, I think it was in August, José Alejandro Rojas said to me, "Listen, let's go to the American Trade, there's an interesting project" and I said well, I want to go.

It was there that I was initially introduced to the concept of this project, including the arrival of designers and visionaries who explained the concept of a project, which is completely different from what we have seen in this country.

This is a totally different project. This is not only said by a president, because before being president, our family, my family, including me, was the general manager of a company linked to construction. It is not that I want to be here promoting the company, but it so happens that this project, among the projects that I was involved in, was one of those that I visited frequently. On this occasion I am only going to visit it now and make a tour, as I promised Henry, to see the progress of the project.

This is a 500 million dollar investment project, this is a very important project. As well as other projects that are about to be given the order to proceed, such as line 3 of the metro, a 2.4 billion dollar project. There are no more claims. The claims ran out yesterday. A bond of 10% of the value of the project was required, so it was difficult.

Projects like this are what show Panamanians that this is indeed a great country, and we as Panamanians have to realise that this is a great country.

It cannot be that we, in my particular case, have been receiving CEOs from different companies and when they sit at my desk in the presidency, I listen to them and they talk to me about a great Panama. Of a Panama with great connectivity by land, by sea. Of the benefits that Panama has. Of the decisions they have taken. Companies like Procter & Gamble to expand their activities in Panama and to bring executives from Puerto Rico or Glaxo from Brazil who are already here in Costa del Este.

When you listen to all these CEOs and investors, including their testimonies in Davos, like Nestlé and so on, other CEOs giving public testimonies of what is here in Panama, I say "Wow, this is indeed a great country. This is a country where what we need are actions like those of Ciudad Porta Norte..

We need a government that is a facilitator. Not just saying that it facilitates, but that it demonstrates it with facts. It is a government that in 7 months has met many times with all the unions. With a president that many of you have my mobile phone, and that every day, or two days later, you know perfectly well that at 11 o'clock at night, or at 5:30 in the morning, the person who answers you is Nito Cortizo, it is not any other assistant, it is Nito Cortizo.

A government, because Henry was clear, shows the way. The way is to be a facilitator, is to be willing to ask them, What do you need? But, get it right. It is a government, where you say to those who come from outside and to those who are here, in English: "NOTHING UNDER THE TABLE"!

That is why we have today, since yesterday, the amendment to the reform of the Public Procurement Law, which I have been following. I have spent 5 to 6 hours on this reform. It is already in the Assembly. Among the amendments is that the relaxation of claims is over. No more indefinite claims. Only 2 claims and on the second claim a deposit of 10% of the value of the contract. We can't be with the relaxation of claims to the detriment of the people, like what is happening in the Colón prison, with more than 1,080 days of delay, since the first tender or like the children's hospital, etc, etc, etc, etc.

The playing field has to be level for all: business and society. So I conclude by saying to you: I am honoured by your presence, honoured by your invitation, honoured by your effort and perseverance. It was five years ago.

We are here today, giving a formal start to a project that is indeed different, very different. This is a project which, I have no doubt, is going to be successful, which is going to be a benchmark not only for Panama, but a benchmark for the region.

I congratulate you and count on Nito Cortizo's government to be an ally of good investments.

Thank you very much.

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