Luxury Opus Miramar Tower Breaks Ground Without Approved Tax Decree as Lobbying Scandal Rocks DDEC

A luxury tower project valued at $80 million has already broken ground in San Juan's Miramar Convention District without the tax decree that would grant it years of sweeping exemptions under Law 60. The Opus Miramar application has been stalled at the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) for over a year with 31 unresolved deficiencies, and the scandal surrounding former Secretary of Governance Francisco Domenech -- founder of lobbying firm Politank -- adds a layer of controversy that calls into question the transparency of the entire process ¹.

Opus Miramar envisions three towers -- a 13-story hotel with 108 units and two residential buildings -- totaling between 140 and 148 units with a pool, restaurant, gym, and parking on parcels E1 and E2 that the Convention District Authority sold for $6 million to Opus Miramar Development North Tower LLC. Oriental Bank is financing the project, and associated entities include Centuria Opportunities Fund LLC, SCF Arquitectos, and Desarrollos Arquitectónicos Inc., the latter linked to architect Segundo Cardona ¹.

The decree the developer is seeking is no small matter. If approved, Opus Miramar would receive a tax rate of just 4% on tourism activity income for 15 years, a 75% exemption on municipal taxes, waivers on sales tax and construction fees, and an investment credit of 30% to 40% on eligible tourism spending. It is the full incentive package offered under the tourism chapter of Law 60 of 2019 ¹.

But the DDEC has not made it easy. In November 2025, the agency issued a five-page information request with 31 findings, including discrepancies between the reported 140 and 148 units, a lack of clarity on whether the condohotel component meets the legal definition, the absence of a business and marketing plan, incomplete employment-generation documentation, and noncompliance with the 70/30 regulatory requirement. The deadline to respond expired on December 20, 2025, without a completed response ¹.

Despite all that, construction began in April 2026 with the foundation of the first residential tower. Then came the crisis: on May 18, 2026, Francisco Domenech -- then Secretary of Governance and AAFAF executive director -- personally showed up at DDEC offices to ask about the status of the Opus application. Both former DDEC Secretary Sebastián Negrón Reichard and former Business Incentives Office Director Edward Zayas García filed formal complaints and sworn declarations detailing the pressure to approve the decree ¹².

The chain of events triggered an investigation by the Independent Special Prosecutor Panel (PFEI), which expanded its probe to include Domenech and Undersecretary Itza García for alleged irregularities and favoritism toward Politank. Governor Jenniffer González announced on July 21 that both officials would be removed ⁴. Domenech officially departed on August 7 without addressing the investigation in his farewell message, and Norma Burgos Andújar, a former senator and former Secretary of State, was named his successor on August 10 ²³.

What this means for you

This case illustrates the collision between the luxury development model that dominates San Juan and the need for affordable housing for working families. While projects like Opus seek multimillion-dollar tax exemptions, virtually nothing but luxury or tourism-oriented complexes is being built in the capital. By the end of 2025, only 64% of typical families could afford to purchase a home, a dramatic drop from 99% in 2019. If the Opus decree is approved with unresolved deficiencies, it would set a precedent that could be replicated with other projects, further reducing the municipal revenue that funds basic services.

Checklist: How to follow up

1. Check the DDEC website (ddec.pr.gov) to see if the Opus Miramar decree appears on the list of pending or approved applications under Law 60.
2. Consult the Property Registry to confirm ownership of parcels E1 and E2 in the Convention District.
3. Review the Convention District Authority's meeting minutes to understand the terms of the $6 million land sale.
4. Ask your municipal legislator about the impact of the 75% municipal tax exemption the project would receive.
5. Monitor the PFEI calendar for the resolution of the investigation into Domenech and Politank.
6. If you live in Miramar or Santurce, attend public hearings on construction permits in your neighborhood to understand what is being approved.

What comes next

The DDEC, now under Secretary Carlos Ríos Pierluisi, has the Opus application on its desk with 31 open deficiencies. The political pressure that Domenech generated is gone, but construction continues. The PFEI investigation is ongoing, and any findings could complicate not only this decree but the review of other incentives granted during Domenech's tenure. Meanwhile, the Legislature is debating how to balance Law 60 incentives with the affordable housing crisis affecting most Puerto Ricans. The central question remains unanswered: whether Puerto Rico will keep subsidizing luxury towers while working families cannot find a place to live.

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Sources ¹ El Nuevo Día, "Todavía en el tintero el decreto contributivo del proyecto Opus," August 7, 2026. ² El Vocero, "Francisco Domenech salió del gobierno sin sucesor designado públicamente," August 8, 2026. ³ NotiCel, "Exsenadora Norma Burgos sale del retiro para asumir la secretaría de la Gobernación," August 10, 2026. ⁴ El Nuevo Día, "'Esto es inevitable': Jenniffer González evalúa el futuro de Francisco Domenech e Itza García en su gobierno," July 20, 2026.