The general administrator of Bienes Nacionales, the government department in charge of all government property, said that President Hipolito Mejia authorized the controversial 30-year lease of 6,700 square meters of the Mirador Sur Park property adjacent to the Occidental Hotel Embajador group. Hoy newspaper reports that the hotel chain submitted a request on 3 April 2001, indicating they wanted to build a convention center on their property and needed the public area for parking accommodations. Hoy newspaper had reported that the company now has plans to build two residential towers. Bienvenido Brito said on Channel 11 yesterday that the property was leased for RD$8,000 per square meter, many times below market sales value. Angel Cimentada of Remax told Hoy newspaper that commercial property in that area normally goes for US$1,000 per square meter. Bienes Nacionales has already received an initial payment of RD$4.5 million for the first year of the agreement. Brito said that while his department cannot sell the land, it can lease it. The city government of Santo Domingo has stopped construction work on the site on the grounds of its illegality. The construction is also being opposed by the neighborhood board.