I believe that it is very important for a city to keep it's downtown area vital.

To maintain and/or revitalize.

It is where the city started and contains so much about it's history.

And that is the sort of thing that tourists want to see and learn about when they are visiting Merida. Otherwise why come!?

And for the expatriates to come to live there, all of what is offered should be very vital and interesting or else there are many other places in the world to choose to retire.