The contract for the artificial island that is to be built in front of Santo Domingo’s sea front awards its promoters a 99-year concession to the property. President Leonel Fernandez has expressed his support to the construction of the island that has been harshly criticized by international and local urban planners. The contract also allows the promoters to change the land use of the island, as reported in El Dia newspaper. In addition, it instructs the government to seek authorization for any permits that would be required of the public works, environment, tourism, port authority, and water corporation, among other government entities. It would also make the government responsible to indemnify the company for any problems caused by fault of the government. In its report on the contract, El Dia points out that by law the city’s coastline from Kilometer 12 throughout the entire Malecon is classified as a national park. Nevertheless, the contract establishes that the contractors may remove material from this area in the interest of expediting the construction of the artificial island.
Apparently no provisions have been made in the contract for the failure of the venture and the eyesore that would result for the city of Santo Domingo.