Some deliveries arrive in a cardboard box. Others arrive on a big truck, with a team of architects and engineers waiting to greet them. Last week, Lantana in El Prado received one of the latter, and it is something we have been looking forward to for a long time: its very own funicular, the first one in Las Catalinas.
The funicular pulled into Town on a big truck last Wednesday, carefully packed in boxes holding its many parts.
Each box carried a different part of the system, from the motor and the rails to the cabin that will soon carry residents and guests up and down the hillside.
The funicular will make three stops along the way: Building A at the start, Building C in the middle, and Building F at the end. Building F is also home to Lantana’s pool and common area, so anyone staying in one of the 29 residences will be able to get there easily, no matter which level they call home.
The funicular comes from Hill Hiker, a family company founded in 1997 that designs, manufactures and installs inclined elevator systems in Minnesota and has brought its work to hillsides around the world. Their team is expected to begin installation next Wednesday, and the work should take about a week. Once everything is in place, the system will go through the necessary testing, and when Building C is completed next year, the funicular will begin its permanent service.
Its arrival was a moment worth showing up for. Karina Obando, the Project Manager leading Lantana, was there to receive it alongside José Coto, Head of our Project Management Department, Andrés González, our Infrastructure Manager, and the engineering team from the construction company building Lantana. Together, they carefully received and reviewed every piece and package, welcoming a part of the project many of them have been planning around for months.
There is something lovely about watching a neighborhood learn a new way to move. Every stone set and every wall raised has brought Lantana closer to the day its residents call it home, and this small car on its hillside track feels like one of those milestones you can almost see the finish line from. We will be following the installation closely and sharing how it all comes together.