The facades of around 500 houses and businesses in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo have been painted as part of a major drive to improve the appearance of the historic center. Residents and homeowners are taking part in the initiative on a voluntary basis. On Saturday, 26 October, some 20 houses were painted on Calle Las Mercedes. The project leader Architect Maribel Villalona said that there were so many volunteers that all the paint had already been distributed on the day. Many prominent personalities took part in the initiative, including the Inter-American Development Bank representative in the Dominican Republic, Flora Painter, and Dominican fashion designer Jenny Polanco.