The original buildings of the Spanish colony have been mostly destroyed by natural disasters over the years . The few notable surviving buildings were erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries . The earthquake of 1986 severely damaged the area , and due to rising unemployment it has been occupied by a large number of street vendors and other informal traders . Mayor Norman Quijano started several large projects with the goal of restoring the former grandeur of the buildings in the center . One such project is to reroute the public transportation routes so they no longer pass through the historic downtown . Another project is the relocation of the illegal street vendors to a designated public market . In 1986 , Mayor Morales Ehrlich closed streets in the downtown of the city to create a large pedestrian mall , which has resulted in chronic traffic congestion . Since 2009 , Mayor Quijano has worked for the redevelopment of parks and historic buildings in the '' Rescate del Centro Historico '' , which involves the removal of the street vendors . This has led to several riots in the area , but he has managed to place the vendors in new markets where they can operate their own stalls . Quijano is widely regarded as the first mayor to truly care for the welfare of the city , consequently he was reelected in 2012
earthquake of 1986
1986 San Salvador earthquake
San Salvador Historic Downtown