Santo Domingo residents in recent years have been once again rediscovering the Malecon as the Abinader government and National District city hall invest heavily in its renovation with a focus on recreation and sports. Tourists alike see the sea-bordering Malecon as the leading attraction of the city of Santo Domingo. But judges of the leading high court think differently, or at least to tell from a recent ruling.
The First Hall of the Superior Administrative Court (TSA) with judges Luisa N. del Carmen Canaan Polanco, William Encarnacion Mejia and Willys de Js. Nuñez Mejía reinstated the validity of a minor municipal court that they understand had the authority to overturned three resolutions of the city hall of Santo Domingo that banned the construction of quick-sex motels on the Malecon. The resolutions were issued since 1990 and had created a limited tolerance sector only from Km 11 to the west on the Malecon.
The residential community most impacted by the decision has several years battling the Carolina Mejia city government, and now the Superior Administrative Court (TSA).
The recent decision by the TSA judges could even open doors for the construction of more quick sex hotels on the iconic Malecon as it removes the impediment to do so. City councillors, mayors and their urban planning departments under Rafael Suberví, Johnny Ventura, Roberto Salcedo and David Collado had all respected the ban.
But the Inversiones y Promociones Til, SRL, and its general manager Wu Bin Gung Xie insisted on building the touristic cabañas on the Malecon site. In 2022, under the first term of the city government of Carolina Mejia, the company obtained a permission (ADN-DPU-2022-0515) to remodel a motel that would be located in Km 10 and build a second administrative floor of the motel at the location. The interesting detail is that Google maps images and neighborhood proof confirm there was nothing on the lot at the time the permission to remodel and build the second floor was issued.
The irregular permission issued by National District urban planning director Mayobanex Suazo under the city government of Carolina Mejia would force the neighborhood adjacent to the lot chosen for the motel to spend thousands in legal fees, and dedicate hundreds of hours, to contest the city government permission. The Costa Caribe neighborhood group has said it will appeal the recent TSA ruling. The legal costs are high and time-consuming.
The promoters of the motel, with the support of the National District urban planning department, argued they were acting on a court ruling 003-2001, of 2001. Interestingly, the original of the court ruling has yet to be submitted by the city government or the motel promoters.
In the TSA preliminary hearing, the promoters were only able to produce a photocopy of the key 2001 ruling that is the base for their case. The judge in the preliminary hearing had ordered a halt to the construction after the Carolina Mejia government joined the neighborhood board in its request to downturn the planning department permission.
Yet, the irregular urban planning permission and the photocopy of a would-be ruling were surprisingly enough for the TSA to clear the construction of the motel when the case was studied again by the higher court. Even when the city government in the hearing that called for the stop of the construction had desisted in its overt support to the construction of the motel.
As a result of the TSA ruling, the residential area community is once again having to undergo costly legal fees to continue the case on to the Supreme Court of Justice.
Diario Libre published an explanatory article and editorial on the case 8 August criticizing the recent decisions of the TSA, and questioning why a motel, with the negatives it brings, is authorized to be built right next to a children’s park previously authorized and built by the same city government. And how could the TSA, the court that determines if government has acted correctly, has given its blessing to the resuming of the construction of the motel.
The construction is authorized right at a time when the Abinader administration is spending billions to build recreational and sports facilities on the same Malecon, just meters away from where the TSA clears the construction of the motel. And the city government of Carolina Mejia is promoting its construction of the family-oriented recreational park areas. The constructions are fast-paced so they be completed in time for the Central American and Caribbean Games that the city of Santo Domingo will host in summer 2026.
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Diario Libre
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11 August 2025