Career
Saurí Vivas was a Ponce businessman and hacienda holder. He became mayor of Ponce in 1895. In 1882, Saurí Vivas built a two-story home, which later became known as, in downtown Ponce, across from Plaza Munoz Rivera, in today"s Ponce Historic Zone.
The house is said to be the third-oldest residence still standing in Ponce.
lieutenant is located at the corner of Calle Union and Calle Reina. In 1912, his home was used as the first site of Liceo Ponceño, Puerto Rico"s first girls-only school.
After Liceo Ponceño vacated the home around the 1950s-1960s, the house was occupied for several years by various small businesses, including a travel agency and a toy store. Subsequently it was vacant for several years.
Then, in 2006-2009, the 1882 was meticulously renovated and adapted as part of a new hotel, the Ponce Ramada Hotel, which opened in 2009.
The hotel design included a four-story addition located next to the house, and a parking garage. In addition to leaving the majestic house in downtown Ponce as his legacy, mayor Félix Saurí Vivas is also honored at Ponce"s Park of Illustrious Ponce Citizens. His remains are located in Cementerio Católico de Ponce.
