Eduardo Selman, government spokesman for the 3.6-km long artificial island authorized to be built along the Malecon, has said that the details of the contract signed by the Dominican state would not be revealed to the general public until the project is sent to Congress.
Listin Diario revealed that the builders have yet to announce where the construction material needed to create the island will come from. Eulogio Santaella said that British-Dutch firm Royal Haskoning is in charge of the design and Necso, a Spanish builder, will be the construction contractor. Eulogio Santaella said that the first phase of construction would take three years and total construction would be completed in eight years.
While it has received the endorsement of President Leonel Fernandez, the artificial island has met with much opposition locally from environmental and civic groups, as well as from the Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo.