Cozumel, Q.R. — Several new urban development projects have been announced for the island of Cozumel. More than 140 million pesos is being injected into island rehabilitation from collected tourists cruise taxes.
Governor Mara Lezama presented the projects Wednesday. She said the money spent comes from tourists taxes collected in the Cruise Tourism Trust. The projects were announced along with Michele Paige, the Executive Director of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).
The projects include the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Malecón, the strengthening of the Tourist Assistance and Security Centre as well as the urban improvement of the area.
On Wednesday, officials laid the first stone for the construction of the public security Headquarters in Cozumel. The new Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) facility will consists of two buildings making up a 2,398 square meter complex.
The Secretary of Citizen Security, Rear Admiral Julio César Gómez Torres, reported that during the first stage an investment of 83 million pesos is planned for construction in two buildings.
Building A, with an area of 1,143 square meters, will house a concentration and recruitment areas, general archive, medical area, armory, laundry and administrative spaces linked to the C2.
Building B will have an area of 1,255 square meters, integrating on its ground floor spaces such as a warehouse, kitchen, dining room, meeting room and command offices. On the upper floor, training classrooms, specialized C3 areas, computer center and shooting simulator, strengthening the professionalization of the security forces.
Governor Lezama also announced 33 million pesos to improve island mobility and infrastructure in the center of the island. During her Wednesday visit, she delivered the first phase of the street rehabilitation project and announced a second phase.
Lezama announced the rehabilitation of the main tourist roads in downtown Cozumel, through the Ministry of Public Works (SEOP), as part of the strategy to strengthen urban infrastructure and tourism development.
With an investment of over 33 million pesos from the Cruise Tourism Trust, this project modernizes key streets, improving mobility and providing greater security for both residents and visitors.
“Working as a team and together, for every dollar that the cruise companies put in, the state government puts in a dollar,” she said.
“The work is for the people of Cozumel so that shared prosperity can be seen through the cruise industry as well,” Lezama added.
While on the island Wednesday, Governor Lezama also delivered a new fleet of specialized police vehicles. The new fleet consists of 21 units that will be used by the Cozumel Public Safety and Transit Directorate.
“With an investment of 25 million pesos, specialized units were acquired that will allow for a more effective response to the security needs on the island, including a level III Plus armored vehicle for high-security operations,” she said.
The units are equipped with communication, signaling and protection technology in accordance with national standards, which strengthens the response capacity and operational coordination of the police forces.
The money being used to improve island infrastructure comes from tourist cruise ship taxes collected by cruise ship companies who visited Cozumel during 2025. Those taxes were collected by the Comité Técnico del Fideicomiso del Turismo Crucerista (Technical Committee of the Cruise Tourism Trust) and held in trust for future use.
