There has been much talk and anticipation concerning the planned International airport in the southern region of Costa Rica. This has recently taken a significant step forward with President Laura Chinchilla’s first official visit to Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific zone in 2010. When in the town of Palmar Norte the President signed a decree to start construction of the project. The construction is planned to start before the end of 2012 with the location of the airport thought to be in the Palmar Norte area.
The initial stage of the project is estimated to cost $35 million (US dollars) and a further $150 million (US dollars) to be invested in areas to develop tourism and local business. This project will bring new opportunities and business to the region in the sectors of tourism and related development.
The reality is that before construction can start there are many legal requirements to settle regarding the development and sustainability of the region.
There has been speculation with real estate in the southern zone in regard to the planned new airport. For example in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica with the construction of the international airport in Liberia the region saw a rise in real estate values, and there is expectation with the planned new airport that values will rise in the southern region of Costa Rica.
For example the real estate in Ojochal would greatly benefit from the new airport, as this undeveloped village would be the first stop north of the new airport for a beach vacation. It is also logical that there would be increases of value to real estate in Dominical and Uvita.