Puerto Rico’s Growth Is Exponential
October 18, 2019Puerto Rico has had a rough couple of years after Hurricane Maria devastated much of the island, wiping out power and infrastructure and throwing the tourism industry into upheaval. However, the disaster gave the island territory the chance for a reset and, now, the tourism industry is coming back bigger and better than ever.
Ricardo Alvarez-Diaz is on the forefront of Puerto Rico’s transformation. He is a founding partner and CEO of Alvarez-Diaz & Villalon Architecture & Interior Design with headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which also has offices in Miami, Florida.
Alvarez-Diaz has played a key role in the rebuilding efforts on the island and was appointed by the secretary of state to serve as a liaison between the public sector and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“The first six to eight months after the hurricane were devastating,” said Alvarez-Diaz. “It was very difficult, and there were a lot of questions about funding and insurance companies were slow to pay. Hotels lost their high season, some of them closed and it took time to fix their properties. After that electrical grid was fixed to the level it was before the hurricane, most hotels reopened stronger.”
This downtime gave the island the chance for a reset.