Representatives of neighborhood groups and businesses of the Colonial City (known locally as “la Zona”) met yesterday at the city hall to find a midpoint between what is being described as nightlife getting out of hand in the historic city center and a much-desired boom for Santo Domingo’s cultural tourism and nightlife.
Businesses agree that limits need to be set on the high volume of music in certain areas, but they fear the alternative may be a “moribund city.”
Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez has taken a radical position in stating that anything untoward in the Colonial City must be shut down, “especially the homosexual whorehouses.”
El Caribe reports that neighbors and local entrepreneurs insist that the measures to be implemented should not kill the lively spirit that has brought new life to the Zona.
A pro-Colonial City group that boasts among its successes having lit up the area, disagrees with the cardinal’s position. Group coordinator and architect Manuel Del Monte Urraca says another approach must be found and he hopes that the cardinal will participate in the Wednesday, 10 November workshop scheduled at the Fundacion Global, Democracia y Desarrollo to discuss and set guidelines for area activity.
See http://www.funglode.org/actividad/actividad.asp?date=11%2F10%2F2004
As reported in El Caribe, several neighbors that met at the city hall yesterday feel a witch hunt to exterminate the bars is not the solution. So far, the Mankala and Abacus night spots, located in front of La Altagracia Church, have been closed down. The city hall commission head by Altagracia Sanz says they will not be closing more bars for now, but are studying the cases of the establishments Murano and Aire.
The executive director of the Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo, Paola Dimitri, says, “It is counterproductive that at a time when we are promoting Santo Domingo as a cultural destination we are also closing bars.”