Since the origins of the city of Viña del Mar, the Las Salinas sector has been characterized by the settlement of productive activities that have marked its identity, delineated the characteristics of its landscape and even modified its morphology. In the 19th century, salt extraction activities were carried out, which is the reason for the name by which this sector of Viña del Mar is still known. At the beginning of the 20th century, the rock needed for the construction of the Valparaíso port mill was extracted from this area outside the city walls. This transformed the geography of the sector, giving it the rugged character that still distinguishes it. It is also noted that during this period there was also a brick factory and railroad construction work in the area. A few years later, in 1915, the first oil operations developed by Shell and Esso began on the current Las Salinas site. This industrial destination was consolidated in the 1930s with the installation of Copec and the retail fuel distribution stations belonging to both this company and Shell, which coincided with the development of a manufacturing center in the northern zone of Viña del Mar. On the other hand, to the west of Jorge Montt, the company Edwards y Cerutti was located from the middle of the 20th century and for more than 50 years, which was dedicated to the design and manufacture of mechanical devices, machinery spare parts and assembly of industrial equipment. In the 1960s, Viña del Mar began to expand northward. In this context, apartment buildings were erected along the coastal edge of the city or in front of the Marga Marga estuary; Reñaca became a first-class residential and vacation center; and the area increased and diversified its hotel and gastronomic offerings. This trend stagnated in the 70’s and 80’s, but regained vitality after 1988. It was only in the 80’s when service stations similar to the ones we know today were installed in the area, where different consumer needs were met, such as level checks, fuel, lubrication and washing of vehicles, as well as cafeteria and restroom services. Within the framework of this process of urban transformation of Viña del Mar, the need to integrate the Las Salinas property into the urban radius of the city became evident, consistent with the trend of expansion towards the north. This is the urbanistic debt that Inmobiliaria Las Salinas wants to settle with the community of Viña del Mar, through the creation of a new sustainable neighborhood on this land with an industrial past.
