In what appears to be part of a wider picture of urban and economic development in the South-East of the city, in December 2011 the Buenos Aires City legislative body approved a law to build a future commercial, cultural and gastronomical centre in San Telmo.

The plans for the centre have generated controversy, dividing opinion among residents. Every Thursday, a group of teachers, students, and artisan workers meet in a small classroom under the 25 de Mayo motorway bridge in the Mercedes Céspedes sports centre. They are there to fight against the centre, which in their eyes poses a serious and deep threat to local education and social activity.

A Controversial Project in the Epicentre of San Telmo

The project, known as Feria del Sur, was voted on virtually unanimously by legislators of the PRO party and by the majority of the opposition. Out of 55, only four abstentions and one negative vote were cast. The law must be voted on twice, and since the composition of deputies in the Legislative body has changed since the first vote, the construction of Feria del Sur is probable, though not yet definite.

The construction of the centre would involve a $15 million investment from a group of four private construction companies; Lanusse S.A., Criba S.A., Servente S.A., and Crivelli Construcciones. Feria del Sur would be located between Bolivar and the half block between Balcarce and Paseo Colón, under the 25 de Mayo motorway. It would measure 16,000m2, with parking space for 266 cars. According to the presentation of the project, the centre would include “cultural, community and commercial activities” including a cinema and restaurants, as well as a graffiti wall and a gallery.

It is hoped that Feria del Sur will bring diversity, money and tourism to the barrio, upliftingand modernising the area underneath the motorway, that according to the governmnet has been “abandoned.”

Although it is generally accepted that the area still needs to be improved, its critics ask why improvement must mean radical change, instead of maintaining and upgrading what is already there.

In the proposed location under the motorway, an artisan cooperative and a community sports centre can be found. While the artisan shops hope to be involved in the project, it is still unknown what would happen to the Mercedes Céspedes sports centre. Schools in the area use the centre for physical education, and a number of local community projects operate here as well. If the shopping centre goes ahead, their space could disappear.

Unifying San Telmo and Healing the “Scar” Created by the Motorway

In 1980, the 25 de Mayo motorway was created, and for most people its construction split San Telmo in two, effectively creating two separate barrios. 20 years later, both the City Government and the private companies state that a principal function of Feria del Sur is to “unify the division in San Telmo, and involves large scale investment in the south of the City.”

Speaking to local paper El Sol de San Telmo, Eduardo Servente, from Servente S.A, deems the project a way to heal the “scar” that the motorway has created in San Telmo, a way to “cure the injuries produced by the motorway and unify the two sections of the barrio which are today separated by an inhospitable and ugly place.” The creation of a shopping centre would also respond to local preoccupation with the safety of an area that can still pose dangers: “Another issue that many people mentioned was the light and security in the area just next to the motorway, and how we could improve it.”

David Kullock, research professor and director of Urban Planning Post-Graduate study at the University of Buenos Aires believes the shopping centre would do nothing to heal the division. “These are just words. On the contrary, it would divide. A shopping centre could never be a friend to everybody – it’s a social fallacy. Of course, this would create more divides.

“This centre wouldn’t be for people who actually live in San Telmo,” he continues. “These residents aren’t the type of people who are going to use a shopping centre. Its purpose is to capture middle class people and tourists.” Kullock explains that the social effects of a shopping centre are extremely difficult to predict, but that in this instance, the project could potentially create more divides within the area.

Efrain Cruz, actively against Feria del Sur, has worked hard to develop the area, as well as volunteering in social activity locally, and is involved at the Mercedes Céspedes sports centre. For him, these claims come too late. For the last eleven years, he has been working extensively with others in the barrio to help unify San Telmo. He opened Feria Gráfica just under the motorway, a shop selling graphic art that upholds Argentine tradition. Along with the Artisan

Cooperative across the street and the creation of the sports centre, it has made people cross San Juan to the area under the motorway, which aided in bridging the divide. He is outraged by the project proposal: “This private project called Feria del Sur seems to tell us that it’s coming to do what we’ve been doing for 11 years.”

The Impact in Focus: Sacrificing Education

Cruz has not only worked to help bridge the divide and improve the area, but he has also been involved in projects aiming to help local children. Around 2,500 children from local schools in the area use the Mercedes Céspedes sports centre for physical education, and the destruction of the sports centre would leave them without a space to practise sport.

Those at the centre work hard to offer help and activities for children in the area. Local schools use the centre to offer extra classes for children who are falling behind at school, an activity the schools currently do not have space for. Groups such as ‘Club de Jovenes’ and ‘Taller de Musica’ also operate here, offering help to children from difficult or violent backgrounds, and giving free music classes to local children.

Unfairly, those at the sports centre only found out about the project through a journalist who came to ask them what they thought for an article about Feria del Sur. There is a strong feeling that they have been left in the dark, left only to wonder about what will happen to the children, the centre and the social activity that is done there. They have reached out to legislators, writing questions to ask what will happen to the centre, but they have been met with silence.

“These people just don’t care that 2,000 children will be left without a space,” says Diaz. “They will destroy everything that we have created. You can improve without destroying.”

Improvement, maintenance, investment are all welcome; they know the area is not without its faults. But what continually emerges is the sense that macrismo is leaving them behind – favouring big, private businesses and allowing their work to crumble in the wake. Moving somewhere else simply is not an option; there is no other space in San Telmo that could cater for the 2,500 school children as well as the social activities.

“There is no better place around here for what we’re doing. They’re putting in private money to a public space, when they should be investing and maintaining it,” says Ricardo Fuentes, a delegate for volunteers in the 4th district.

Next Steps

As it stands, it seems that only those behind the project – the government and the private companies – can see the advantages of Feria del Sur, while locals feel that investment is necessary, but that this project is not worth sacrificing a community centre and the barrio’s authentic feel.

For Kullock, a modern shopping centre in San Telmo is the “antithesis” of the backdrop of antiquity and bohemia that characterises the barrio. There is “no advantage of building this shopping centre. I think San Telmo is the worst place that they could be building it.” He notes that San Telmo has undergone much change and development over the last 20 years, and currently there are areas that need developing much more.

“They have to invent words: ‘would complement’, ‘would diversify’ – but for me we don’t need to make San Telmo more diverse, but instead we should aim to focus on its uniqueness, on its singularity.”

The second vote on Feria del Sur is on 9th May. Until then, those at the sports centre will continue to campaign against it. For now, they are distributing flyers, and talking to legislators, but they will protest if their concerns continue to be met with silence.

It is impossible to tell what the project will do for the area. PRO legislators must now decide if the change, improvement and development the project could bring to San Telmo is enough tosacrifice local work of the last 11 years, or if Feria del Sur will ultimately create a much deeper and long-lasting scar in San Telmo.

Find out what the locals think about development in San Telmo here.

In December of 2011, a law was voted on by the Buenos Aires City legislative body for a substantial new commercial and cultural centre to be built in bohemian San Telmo. Heralded as a necessary modernisation of a derelict neighbourhood, the Feria del Sur project is to include a mixture of shops, restaurants, bars, a gallery, and a cinema. Essentially, it will bring money and tourism to the underdeveloped area under the 25 de Mayo motorway bridge – between Bolívar and Paseo Colón.

Before the new centre can be approved, the legislative body must vote once more, but with 50 out of 55 ‘yes’ votes, the project already seems inevitable.

Yet not everyone sees this development project as indisputably beneficial for the area. The new shopping mall will be constructed on the very ground that Mercedes Céspedes, a community centre which helps around 2000 children, is currently sitting on. Although the developers are promising to help the centre move elsewhere, it is clear that there is nowhere near to go, side-lining countless vital community projects.

The Indy took to the San Telmo neighbourhood to see what the locals had to say about this development project.

Patricio Useglio, 30, Rosario

I think that some development in San Telmo would be good, but not a shopping centre. There are other things that need to be developed first in the area that are more based on the culture around here, more clubs and more social things. Instead government money should be going towards more benefits for the clubs and the community centres. I think it will affect the area in a bad way. I don’t think they should move the community centre, for the children that go there to play some sport, it is very important to be near to the house, and it would be very hard to move to another place.

Norma Mesquiatti, 49, Artisan, San Telmo

Certain areas and aspects of San Telmo need to be developed further, for example, the protection of the historic quarter, regularisation of street sellers, the situation of artisans, and also the preservation of antique shops that are being lost.

I think [the proposed development] is going to be negative, the spirit of San Telmo is not just the historic centre but also the foundation of the city. In fact that’s why San Telmo became famous in the first place, with all the antique shops. It represents everything that is old, it represents the foundation of Buenos Aires.

I will never be for a project that goes against solidarity and justice. The kids need community centres, and I hope one day we won’t need them, but for the time being I know that they shelter many children from the street. That is fundamental for social development, not only for San Telmo, but also for the country.

Kevin Dean, 24, Food Entrepreneur, Belgrano

Part of San Telmo’s charm is that it’s underground, hippy, and bohemian, so I’m not sure if a commercial mall fits with the whole vibe. Although, I do think the plans might gentrify the area a bit more. Sometimes when a sports stadium is built they usually put it in a not so good neighbourhood, so that more businesses, restaurants, and bars sprout up, and it usually works. But I don’t know if San Telmo needs a shopping centre, as it’s cool as it is. It could be good for the market because it could bring more people, but it might be bad because people might go to the mall instead of San Telmo fair.

If the community centre can be moved to a good location, then I don’t think it’s a problem. But I sometimes think becomes a last priority concerning plans like this, so they should have that sorted before they start knocking [the community centre] down.

Olena Proskurova, 48, Retired, Microcentro

I don’t like the idea of a commercial centre because when they build it they are going to destroy the area. With modernisation, San Telmo will loose its style. I like San Telmo, because it’s small, old, romantic, it has warmth, and is comfortable. This is not an area to be building modern buildings, although I understand it’s business and it can bring a lot of money here. It might be good in more modern areas, like Puerto Madero, but not in San Telmo.

I‘m not against Macri, or Cristina, I just don’t like it. If it is an area where people go out for walks, with restaurants then I would like that, but not a commercial centre.

It’s better to leave to community centre for the kids, instead of building anything else. Macri wants to build things like shopping centres for money, and the community centre doesn’t matter because he can’t make a profit out of children. Children don’t produce money, they are the ones that need investment.

Venecia Negron, 28, Secretary, Palermo 

The idea of a shopping centre has nothing to do with San Telmo, because it is a very touristy neighbourhood, and a shopping centre is a monster.

But, I don’t like Havanna and Starbucks in this neighbourhood, I feel they have nothing to do with downtown San Telmo. The building where Starbucks was built was originally a very old, very touristy café, it was stupid to replace it. These new modern developments should be in Palermo or a more modern neighbourhood, but not in San Telmo.

The people that sell at the market are the artisans, who live and sell their handcrafts. If you put a commercial centre too close it won’t help these people, it will only be for tourists.

I think to replace somewhere that is a centre for the community is total madness. It’s not necessary. It is more necessary to have community centres to help the children.

At only 2.5m wide, Casa Mínima has the unique distinction of being the narrowest house in the city of Buenos Aires.

Situated on a corner of Defensa, the main tourist thoroughfare in the historic neighbourhood of San Telmo, the charms of this tiny abode are endless though easily missed. Partially exposed brickwork contrasting with a white adobe façade, a green-painted front door, lace-curtained windows and a wrought-iron balcony adorned with colourful flowerpots are the only hints at the historical significance of what’s within.

Legend has it that the house was given to a slave after his former owner had freed him, but according to historians at the neighbouring archaeological museum El Zanjón, the house was always part of a larger, grander residence on the corner of Defensa and San Lorenzo.

Nowadays a site of public interest, the original house was built in 1807 and was a typical Spanish-style residence with a centre courtyard and side entrance for horse carriages. The section of the house that is now called the Casa Mínima most likely served as a kind of watchtower, suggested by the fact its roof is significantly higher than that of the rest of the building.

In 1871 when a yellow fever epidemic broke out in San Telmo, the oldest suburb of Buenos Aires, wealthy residents fled to their country houses and to more northern neighbourhoods such as Recoleta. Their homes were then either sold for use as tenement quarters, or taken over by squatters and immigrants arriving from Europe.

Casa Mínima was one of three tenement houses created from the subdivision of the original house, and is the only one of the three that has remained a residence. Its neighbours were, in later years, converted to a tango club and a general store.

The last person to live in the house was a craftsman in the 1970s. Since then, it was vacant for a ten year period before being bought, along with the rest of the original house, by El Zanjón in 1994. The museum has completely renovated the part of the property that lies adjacent to Casa Mínima, displaying an innovative use of old materials that allows visitors to easily visualize the buildings heritage.

In 2007, the entire structure was opened to the general public and the restored section is now an elegant space, available to rent for special events.

Remaining essentially as it was when it was a tenement house, the front door of Casa Mínima leads to an arched hallway that features the original tile floor. Beyond that, a small open-air courtyard has steps leading upstairs to a single room on the second floor.

Despite the fact that the only other room in the property is a kitchen in the back of the house, whose ceiling height is probably three times greater than its length, the house is actually more spacious than it appears from the outside.

But perhaps the most interesting aspect of stepping inside this thin slice of history, is imagining the house during its days as “lookout” for an affluent Argentine family and wondering “What did the watchmen see from their posts on the long dark nights of the early 19th century?”

Who has the best beer selection in Buenos Aires? I claim that the best beer fridge in the city does not belong to a bar, a pub or even a specialty shop. It belongs to Martín Boan and Carolina Pérez, heads of the Centro de Cata de Cerveza in San Telmo.

When entering the Centro de Cata (Tasting Centre) you will see an impressive collection of beer books, bottles, and other memorabilia on the shelves that border the room. Inevitably, your eye will be drawn to the contents protected by two glass doors on the far wall. The two fridges are a densely packed library of styles from across the continent and around the world.

Amassing and replenishing their constantly revolving collection is all in a day’s work. Carolina and Martín are leading figures in developing the South American craft beer industry and their fridge is a testament to wide travels, influence and admiration. They are Argentina’s foremost beer educators, drawing students from across South America and colleagues from around the world to their classroom. They also have a hand in the malting industry and in founding the South Beer Cup, a beer competition and festival inaugurated last May in Buenos Aires.

I was recently lucky enough to attend a low-key meeting between Martín, some of his students, and Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) president Gordon Strong. Mr. Strong happens to be the BJCP’s most experienced judge and had passed through Brazil before lecturing and judging at a brewing competition in Santa Fe.

The stylistic variety and origins of the beers we shared and discussed was surprising. From out of the fridge came a Baltic Porter brewed in Scotland, a Brazilian Black India Pale Ale, an Argentine Pale Ale in the American style, and Argentine versions of Bock and Imperial Stout to name only a few.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the beers was a Brazilian ale inspired by the Belgian brewing tradition. Fermented using Brettanomyces (a unique strain of yeast that creates a distinct sour taste), it offered tart and refreshing sips. It would be at home in a Belgian café and is an ideal restorative on a hot day.

Mr. Strong had this to say when asked to characterize Martín and Carolina’s influence on educating hopeful beer judges: “The BJCP would not have a presence in South America if it were not for Martín and Carolina. They helped organize and proctor the first exams, and also helped start up the program in Brazil. They are exactly the right type of people to lead the judging community”. More judges means more beer competitions and more chances for brewers to be shaped by competent criticism and praise from their peers. Better beer is the inevitable outcome.

The beers in the Centro de Cata de Cerveza are for educational purposes. The Centro offers regular topical workshops for those looking to indulge their curiosity about beer appreciation, as well as technical talks for homebrewers. For the more serious student, several long-term courses are offered through the Centro (including distance education) and each involves many hours of sensory evaluation. Beer’s raw materials, brewing science and other key technical subjects are also on the syllabus.

In any case, signing up for a class means drinking beer will quite literally be your homework.

Aaron Brown is a Canadian beer lover and writer exploring Argentina one beer at a time. He writes for the Adventures In Alcohol blog and is frequently on Twitter. He hosts regular beer tastings in Buenos Aires. For more information please see the blog or Facebook.

The illustration magazine has turned seven, and for this birthday they decided to unveil a new format.

Now you can find an excellent selection of illustrators drawing from the same jumping off point: illogic, in this full colour 10x20cm version.

With this concept as an excuse, illustrators display all kinds of aesthetics, formats, styles and more!

Pick up the magazine for $45 in Cualquier Verdura. Open Thursday-Sunday, midday to 8pm. For more information, click here.

When you first listen to Superchería’s soothing rock ballads, least of all their first album ‘Una Casa Detrás’, it comes as no surprise that the Argentine four-piece were heavily influenced by The Beatles. With Revolver, the Brit-foursome created “pretty much a bible for songwriters,” they tell The Argentina Independent, adding that “That kind of music cuts to the core of us.”

Any fans of the Argentine great Charly García should have a listen too, though it is Luis Spinetta, and namely his phase in ‘Pescado Rabioso’, a band whose short-lived but wildly successful trajectory are considered an important part of the country’s musical history, that inspired them the most.

Superchería’s four members met in high school, and sharing a love of rock music, practiced playing together, becoming solid friends along the way. However, they didn’t formally get together until 2007, at which point they started writing and performing with more maturity. With the enigmatic Pira Bastourre and Joaquín Alvarez as frontmen, supported by Martín Tuffano on bass and vocals, and Jerry Ferala on drums, the band made their debut at the Sala Pueyrredón, a haven for up and coming rock groups in Buenos Aires’ alternative music scene.

This is a route they have always intended to go down: “In the underground or alternative music scene in Argentina you can find loads of really very talented bands that show just how, after a bit of a dry patch, a new wave is emerging”. Not surprising then that their circuit has taken them to the edgier venues the city has to offer—La Cigale, The Roxy, and La Castorera amongst others—where their nostalgic lyrics and uplifting vocals have gathered a solid fan base.

Of all their gigs, the one they remember most fondly is the debut performance of their first album in September 2010. Where their first release was an EP, ‘Una Casa Detrás’ is their first full album. “The production, the stage, the room full of people was amazing- it was also a seminal moment, to be playing the disc live so soon after finishing it off”.

Highlights of the album include ‘Te Quema los Pies’, (It burns your feet), with a definite brit-pop vibe, or the hauntingly romantic ‘Dormí conmigo’ (I slept with me). But the tone of the album is very versatile, with a seamless mix of heavier and lighter Strokes-esque rock. What’s more, you can download it absolutely free off their website!

This week’s product is from an Argentine designer. The Pebeta Teta brand has earrings, brooches, and necklaces made of acrylic. With a synthetic line, primary colours, and simple ideas, it has created a family of products which combine well with each other and your other fashion accessories.

Today, we present a variety of Pebeta Teta brooches. You can dress up your lapels from just $38.

Cualquier Verdura is open Thursday-Sunday, midday-8pm, at Humberto Primo 517, San Telmo. Visit www.cualquierverdura.com.ar for more information

There are few plants more “Gauchito” than the cactus. It requires very little watering, adjusts the amount of sunlight that reaches it and with a little luck presents us with a flower.

These hand-woven textile cactuses need even less help from us and they will never let us down.

They come in are a variety of cactus models: prickly, hairy, flat and round. Each cactus with its flowerpot is ready to make your home more beautiful.

The crocheted cactus, depending on model and size, ranges in price from $25 to $140.

Pick up the cactus in Cualquier Verdura. Open Thursday-Sunday, midday to 8pm. For more information, click here.

This week and after so many football frustrations, we are trying to find some new happiness in this great sport – the most popular in Argentina, and the one that harvests the most obscenities.

This alarm clock made in West Germany came to us after 30 years of waiting to be sold in a store in Greater Buenos Aires. Ideal for those with football on the brain 24 hours a day, who will never forget to wind this faithful gadget.

It’s a clock, it’s a ball, it’s an alarm clock, its dial is a field, it winds up, it’s made by the Kaiser brand… Today we cannot lose!

Pick up the football alarm clock for $200 in Cualquier Verdura. Open Thursday-Sunday, midday to 8pm. For more information, click here.

When advanced technology meets unsubtle design in the People’s Republic of China, objects such as this -much loved- Pig Radio Speaker are created.

Turn it on and adjust the volume by twisting the pig’s tail. Clenching his ears will tune you to FM radio. Plug in a cable and listen to your MP3/i-pod. And – eco-friendly ones – it consumes little battery.

But more than anything, we are happy to present you with our new musical friend who has survived swine flu and remains a bestseller in Cualquier Verdura.

Pick up pig radio speaker, complete with box and cable, for just $70 in Cualquier Verdura. Open Thursday-Sunday, midday to 8pm. For more information, click here.