A disagreement over the price of the land that housed the Hotel Hispaniola, where the government intends to build the Santo Domingo Convention Center, has stalled the start of the project, whose plans and design are awaiting completion before construction can begin, which will contribute to strengthening the tourism development of the Dominican capital.
On several occasions, the current administration has provided information about the construction project. The first announcement was made by President Luis Abinader during the International Tourism Fair (Fitur 2022), where he shared the news about its construction. In February of last year, 2023, Tourism Minister David Collado stated that work would begin within 90 days.
“We will begin construction of the Santo Domingo Convention Center within the next 90 days, on the site of the Hotel Hispaniola, which stood for many years, and we will preserve that building,” Collado declared on February 16 of last year. Decree 296-22 declares the land to be of public utility.
At the beginning of 2024, President Luis Abinader announced that the construction of the Santo Domingo Convention Center would be put out to tender. "It's something we've lacked for a long time, and yet we haven't developed it. We're opening three large hotels this year from well-known international brands, but this convention center is the complement that we hope to complete by the end of 2025," President Luis Abinader stated on January 11 of this year during a press conference held by the Ministry of Tourism, where the 2023 results for that government agency were presented.
But yesterday Collado reported that the government must overcome a private dispute over the location where the facility will be built.
He explained, during a meeting with the press at Fitur 2024, that the government, in order to resolve the impasse, will deposit 1.2 billion pesos into an account, which is the value appraised by National Assets for the aforementioned lands, located on Avenida Independencia at the corner of Avenida Abraham Lincoln, where the Hotel Hispaniola operated.
The problem is between thebusinessmenMiguel Vargas, Carlos Sánchez and another of Spanish nationality.
“They say its value is higher. We are going to deposit 1.2 billion into an account. They will sign an agreement accepting that deposit so that, when they reach an agreement, they can collect that money and stop obstructing the development of the Santo Domingo convention center, which is so important,” Collado told the media.
He explained that the funds were reserved from the budget allocation for the country's international promotion and will be given to the Ministry of Finance for those purposes.
David Collado said that for the construction of the convention center, the Dominican government has sought the advice of the Madrid Trade Fair Institution (Ifema), the entity that organizes Fitur.
"We have the plans, we have the design, which was developed by an architect guided by Ifema," he said.
According to Collado, this project will have an urban impact and will transform the city of Santo Domingo.
"In countries where convention centers are built and operating, they impact hotel occupancy in that area by 7 percent, meaning that in Greater Santo Domingo we will have an impact of at least 7 percent on occupancy," the official projected.
