Santo Domingo.– The Minister of Tourism, David Collado, reported this Monday that the recovery project of the Colonial City will be delivered in its entirety in December of this year, including the streets, sidewalks, curbs, roofs, and the undergrounding of cables.
Collado offered the information during the handover ceremony of the renovated Viceregal Palace Diego Colón Museum, where he highlighted that the interventions are part of a comprehensive project that seeks to recover historical heritage and improve the living conditions of those who reside and work in the area.
“Together with Culture and the National District City Council, the IDB project will be delivered in its entirety in the month of December, its streets, its sidewalks, its curbs, its roofs, its cables,” the minister stated.
He explained that the work has involved difficulties for residents and merchants, because any intervention in a historic area requires archaeological studies and, upon the discovery of objects or remains, the work must be halted until their analysis is complete.
We recommend reading: Colonial City debuts the country’s first electric tourist and cultural corridor
More Read
The official noted that the Ministry of Tourism allocated RD$400 million for emblematic interventions in the Colonial City, including the recovery of the Puerta de la Misericordia, the renovation of 13 churches, and the restoration of the facade of the Panteón de la Patria.
He also highlighted that, as part of the program funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), more than 100 homes that were in an advanced state of deterioration have been restored, and there are plans to complete 140. In addition, more than 130 facades have been painted.
Collado maintained that the project also includes support for merchants and entrepreneurs in the area through non-reimbursable funds and programs aimed at small businesses.
“We don’t want a Cartagena de Indias that is a ghost town at night; we want those who live in the Colonial City to stay in the Colonial City,” he expressed.
The minister stated that, despite the difficulties caused by the construction work, the flow of tourists to the Colonial City has increased. He indicated that at the beginning of the interventions, around 7% of the tourists arriving in the country visited the area, while in August the figure reached 14%, with an average of 13.5% so far this year.
Collado assured that the interventions seek to turn the Colonial City into a space that combines the preservation of heritage with better conditions for its residents, merchants, and visitors.
