The National District City Council announced it has decided to remove the zoo animal statues that gave the name to the themed around 2,500 m2 Zooberto Park located off Los Próceres Avenues in the capital city. The park was named for former Mayor Roberto Salcedo who saw this kind of park abroad and recreated it at the city spot in 2010 for a then big spending figure of RD$11 million.
Noticias SIN reports that Alfredo García, communications director for the Santo Domingo City Council, said the experts recommended the removal due to the deterioration of the animal statues.
The Zooberto Park is temporarily closed for remodeling.
Noticias SIN says that the city government explains the revitalization project seeks to offer citizens a safer, more modern, and functional environment for the enjoyment of recreational and leisure activities.
The remodeling process includes:
• Reorganizing and consolidating vegetation to improve visibility and facilitate maintenance, which includes the preservation of species and the planting of new plants.
• Optimizing the park’s lighting to increase safety and use during night hours, which includes the installation of new lights.
• Organizing a parking area for motorcycles and cars adjacent to the park.
• Installing video surveillance cameras.
• Adapting sidewalks, ramps for people with disabilities, a pedestrian walkway.
In its coverage on the park renovation, Noticias SIN says that not all the people in the area agree with removing the iconic animal figures. They say this will remove the park’s appeal and uniqueness.
“I imagine that they are going to do very different things, but that is unnecessary, that money should have been invested in something else because the park was working very well,” said a resident who crosses the park every morning to go to his workplace.
While motorcycle taxi drivers who have worked in the park’s surroundings for years value its intervention positively. “Any remodeling is good, it’s a job for the good, but they shouldn’t have removed the statues because all the people who passed by here in vehicles stopped to take pictures with the animals. They should have given them maintenance and adapted them without removing those animals,” said a motorist.
Others point out that this remodeling of the park will help the city look better, as well as seeing the placement of new lights in the space as a wise decision since they assure that it was “a haven for delinquents.”
As reported in Noticias SIN, the decision to remove the animal statues has been met with mixed reactions from the community. Some residents believe that the statues are an integral part of the park’s identity and should be preserved. Others argue that the statues are outdated and in poor condition.
The Santo Domingo City Council has defended its decision, stating that the statues are no longer safe and that they need to be replaced with more modern and attractive structures. The council also plans to improve the park’s landscaping and lighting and to add new amenities such as a playground and a dog recreation park area.
The city government says the remodeling will be completed “in the next few months.”
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Noticias SIN
11 June 2024