The heart of downtown Santiago de los Caballeros has many century-old, Victorian-style houses and many are near disappearing. Now, Monumental Heritage authority is issuing the permits to put these buildings to use as part of the effort to renovate the city center and make it attractive to tourism.
As reported in El Caribe, one such building, on the corner of San Luis and Beller, is a three-story structure that will become a boutique hotel, the first in the area. A building that housed a law office, small store, and living quarters all at the same time will also be converted for lodging.
Another former dwelling, that once belonged to Jose Battle Filba and Maria Dolores Espaillat Espaillat families, on Del Sol Street between San Luis and Mella will become a café and bar. The granddaughter of Rosa Tavares Battle and her husband, Marco Cabral Bermudez have lived there. A highly regarded architect will do the renovation of the project.
The rules require that the buildings be preserved as original as possible.
There are plenty of these old structures to photograph for those that like to explore around the city of Santiago. One such is the building across from the Cultural Center on Del Sol; another is on Antonio Guzman between 16 August and Del Sol (the old Thomen house), and still another is the old house that belonged to Isidro Bordas.
Another house, not mentioned in the article, is the old Alvarez Perelló house on the corner of España and Independencia. Unfortunately, so-called progress has seen many of the grand old building demolished to make way for stores and other commercial entities in the city center.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
30 August 2020