Since the 1980s, Avenida Central has been more witness than protagonist in Panama City’s evolving urban narrative. The city’s original commercial artery simply waited for its next chapter as the Casco revitalized and the novelty of indoor malls wore off.
Today, open air shopping is reclaiming its place in Panama City-life. The public hunger for being outdoors is palpable. The Cinta Costera, Amador Causeway and just about every public park in the city are full day and night, and outdoor food courts have popped up in parking lots in just about every neighborhood. The resurgent demand for enjoying the outdoors has made the Municipo de Panama’s decision thirty years ago to pedestrianize Avenida Central look prescient. Today, Avenida Central is the only pedestrian shopping street in the city.
La Central just happens to also be the connecting thread between the Cinta Costera and Casco Viejo, perhaps Panama City’s two most popular places to be outdoors, with the new Metro station at Plaza Cinco de Mayo, which connects the historic district to the rest of the city.
Now, following the success of Casco Viejo’s two-decade long revitalization, the transformation of Avenida Central is truly underway. It is a collective effort to reclaim the "actual heartbeat" of Panama City, lead by the Municipio de Panama, blending public infrastructure improvements with a new wave of thoughtful private stewardship. What is the Historic District and What is Driving its Comeback?
What is the Historic District? The Historic District of Panama City can be thought of as a series of pre and post war neighborhoods that radiate out from the city’s Colonial UNESCO World Heritage Site core, Casco Antiguo (interchangeably called, Casco Viejo). The connecting thread of those neighborhoods is partly physical (La Central winds through almost all of the historic neighborhoods) as well as conceptual (they all have older low and mid-rise buildings with generous sidewalks and public plazas).
Why now? Casco Viejo, which has always been Panama’s cultural and governmental heart, has been transformed over the last two decades into a proud symbol of the country’s progress and its ambition to build a world-class tourism industry. It is hard to imagine how far the Casco has come unless you see pictures of it from the early 2000s, with its abandoned, crumbling buildings and open sewers. Casco’s revitalization was Panama’s first experience in living memory bringing a once vibrant neighborhood back to prominence. It proved to the private and public sectors that it could be done, and whetted the public’s appetite for more. La Central is the next logical step. Avenida Central has always been the connective tissue between Casco Viejo with the rest of the modern city. Avenida Central forms the entrance to Casco Viejo, and its revitalization will make it easy for visitors from all over the city to arrive, find parking and start exploring by foot. Because for all of the Casco’s marvels, its colonial streets are still congested with cars, deterring locals from visiting, except on special occasions.
The vision shared by the city and local business owners is to return this district to its former glory, attracting both locals and visitors. This isn’t about exclusivity; it’s about human-scale living where the pedestrian is king.
Public Works
A few of the public works currently in motion are the true infrastructure of hope:
- The Reimagined Plaza 5 de Mayo: This is more than a facelift. The B/. 7,000,000 project is reclaiming 2,865 m² of surface area from vehicular traffic to create a greener, safer pedestrian hub. Imagine 45 new trees in the plaza alone—part of a 200-tree reforestation effort for the entire zone.
- Ruta R-3N (Avenida 3 de Noviembre): A green corridor connecting the 5 de Mayo Metro Station to the Cinta Costera. The focus is on widening sidewalks and adding "pocket parks" to reduce urban heat and make the daily walk an act of elation rather than a chore.
- Calle Estudiante & Barrio Chino: A B/. 4.3 million investment is revitalizing historic Chinatown, while nearby Calle Estudiante is seeing a total reorganization. Traffic lanes are being optimized to allow for 4-meter wide, tree-lined sidewalks.
- The Illumination of History: The recent LED lighting of the 5 de Mayo bridge by the Alcaldía and Naturgy isn’t just about security—it’s about highlighting the architectural heritage that has always been there, waiting for its spotlight.
Private Projects
A number of private projects are being developed on Avenida Central, including:
- Gran Central. The historic district’s largest and most transformative project includes nearly 1 million square feet (90,000 square meters) of residential, hotel and commercial property.
- Central Link Innovation Hub: Over 1000 square meters of office, retail and galleries located on Avenida Central. In construction. https://www.cascodevelopment.com/en/proyectos/central-link-innovation-hub
- The Hive. Residential and commercial building located on Plaza Cinco de Mayo being developed by Casco Development & Partners.