Residencial Las Casas
Encyclopedia
Residencial Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, more commonly known as Residencial Las Casas or Las Casas, is a public housing complex located in San Juan, Puerto Rico
consisting of 417 housing units. It is under the management of the Puerto Rico Housing Authority (Administración de Vivienda Pública in Spanish) and is under the federal housing program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It was named after the famous Spaniard
Roman Catholic Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas
, who also has a town named after him in Mexico, namely San Cristóbal de las Casas
.
The Complex is located in an area that was used by the United States military beginning in 1908, as a training camp for the Puerto Rican Regiment of Infantry that saw action in World War I and World War II. During that era, the area was known as "Camp Las Casas
". It also was Puerto Rico's first commercial air field, with the first Puerto Rican pilot, Félix Rigau Carrera
, taking off on the first inter-island flight from the air field, and Aerovías Nacionales de Puerto Rico offering airline
service during the 1930s.
One of San Juan's oldest projects, Residencial Las Casas wasn't always a poverty stricken project. It was built during the 1950s, after the military had left the area, with middle class customers in mind. Many of San Juan's affluent families bought property there. One of its earliest residents was renowned Puerto Rican actress Míriam Colón and activist Antonia Pantoja
.
The deterioration of Las Casas began during the 1970s, when most of the middle class families moved, giving way to lower class families. The new tenants would typically complain of jet airplane
noise as the pilots of airliners landing at the airport would use the apartment complex as a guiding point and airplanes would zoom loudly just over the rooftops of these buildings, on an average of about every five minutes or so. During the middle 1970s, resident Luciano Rivera
made the headlines nationally, as he was one of a few survivors of a Prinair
crash that happened nearby.
By the early 1980s, salsa
singer Cano Estremera
, a resident, began bringing his musician friends over to practice at Las Casas. Estremera would go on to become a legendary singer and international super-star who, in 2003, made a CD
commemorating his twenty years in the music industry. Around this time, Las Casas buildings deteriorated and most buildings still wore the original paint jobs since the 1950s, thirty years after their initial construction.
By the late 1980s, however, illegal drugs began making their way into the complex, although the Puerto Rican
drug wars of the era were mainly concentrated into other nearby complexes, mainly Residencial Nemesio M. Canales and Residencial Luis Llorens Torres. In 1989, Las Casas was affected deeply by Hurricane Hugo
, with some apartments destroyed, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) had to help some of the families in the complex.
By 2004, several gangs residing in Las Casas had entered the drug wars with other projects in the San Juan area, and the residential complex has been affected by an unprecedented rise in violent crimes (for that specific area).
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
consisting of 417 housing units. It is under the management of the Puerto Rico Housing Authority (Administración de Vivienda Pública in Spanish) and is under the federal housing program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It was named after the famous Spaniard
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Roman Catholic Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas
Bartolomé de Las Casas
Bartolomé de las Casas O.P. was a 16th-century Spanish historian, social reformer and Dominican friar. He became the first resident Bishop of Chiapas, and the first officially appointed "Protector of the Indians"...
, who also has a town named after him in Mexico, namely San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas also known as it's native Tsotsil name, Jovel is a city and municipality located in the Central Highlands region of the Mexican state of Chiapas...
.
The Complex is located in an area that was used by the United States military beginning in 1908, as a training camp for the Puerto Rican Regiment of Infantry that saw action in World War I and World War II. During that era, the area was known as "Camp Las Casas
Camp Las Casas
Camp Las Casas was a United States military instalation established in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1904. The camp was the main training base of the "Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry," On January 15, 1899, the military government changed the name of Puerto Rico to Porto Rico a segregated U.S...
". It also was Puerto Rico's first commercial air field, with the first Puerto Rican pilot, Félix Rigau Carrera
Felix Rigau Carrera
First Lieutenant Félix Rigau Carrera , known as "El Águila de Sabana Grande" , was the first Puerto Rican pilot and the first Hispanic fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps...
, taking off on the first inter-island flight from the air field, and Aerovías Nacionales de Puerto Rico offering airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
service during the 1930s.
One of San Juan's oldest projects, Residencial Las Casas wasn't always a poverty stricken project. It was built during the 1950s, after the military had left the area, with middle class customers in mind. Many of San Juan's affluent families bought property there. One of its earliest residents was renowned Puerto Rican actress Míriam Colón and activist Antonia Pantoja
Antonia Pantoja
Dr. Antonia Pantoja , educator, social worker, feminist, civil rights leader and founder of ASPIRA, the Puerto Rican Forum, Boricua College and Producir.-Early years:...
.
The deterioration of Las Casas began during the 1970s, when most of the middle class families moved, giving way to lower class families. The new tenants would typically complain of jet airplane
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
noise as the pilots of airliners landing at the airport would use the apartment complex as a guiding point and airplanes would zoom loudly just over the rooftops of these buildings, on an average of about every five minutes or so. During the middle 1970s, resident Luciano Rivera
Luciano Rivera
Luciano Rivera , was a local mechanic injured in the Prinair accident in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the plane fell over an area where he and his friends were playing cards.Out of the crash's survivors, Rivera was the worst injured one...
made the headlines nationally, as he was one of a few survivors of a Prinair
Prinair
Prinair was a Puerto Rican airline. It was Puerto Rico's domestic and international flag carrier airline for almost two decades.- History :Services began in 1966, under the name Aerolíneas de Ponce , with Aero Commanders...
crash that happened nearby.
By the early 1980s, salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
singer Cano Estremera
Cano Estremera
Carlos Enrique Estremera Colón Carlos Enrique Estremera Colón Carlos Enrique Estremera Colón (born 2 September 1958 is a Puerto Rican Salsa singer who is a native of San Juan. Estremera, who is an albino, is nicknamed -and billed- as "El Cano" ("The Light-Colored Haired One"), a word which is...
, a resident, began bringing his musician friends over to practice at Las Casas. Estremera would go on to become a legendary singer and international super-star who, in 2003, made a CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
commemorating his twenty years in the music industry. Around this time, Las Casas buildings deteriorated and most buildings still wore the original paint jobs since the 1950s, thirty years after their initial construction.
By the late 1980s, however, illegal drugs began making their way into the complex, although the Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
drug wars of the era were mainly concentrated into other nearby complexes, mainly Residencial Nemesio M. Canales and Residencial Luis Llorens Torres. In 1989, Las Casas was affected deeply by Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo was a classical, destructive and rare Cape Verde-type hurricane which struck the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the USA mainland in South Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane during September of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season...
, with some apartments destroyed, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA) had to help some of the families in the complex.
By 2004, several gangs residing in Las Casas had entered the drug wars with other projects in the San Juan area, and the residential complex has been affected by an unprecedented rise in violent crimes (for that specific area).
See also
- Public housing in Puerto RicoPublic housing in Puerto RicoPublic housing in Puerto Rico is a subsidized system of housing units, mostly consisting of housing projects , which are provided for low-income families in Puerto Rico...
- For other meanings of Las Casas, see: Las Casas (disambiguation)Las Casas (disambiguation)Las Casas may refer to:* Las casas - a Spanish term directly translated to "the houses" or "the homes"* Bartolomé de las Casas, O.P. - 16th century Spanish priest* Francisco de las Casas - 16th century Spanish conquistador...