The building in northern Santo Domingo that was destroyed by a fire at Merca Santo Domingo on 8 June 2025 will be demolished, according to a statement from the market’s administration. Yet, there is no timeline for the needed works. The fire left an estimated 110 merchants without their usual livelihood and affected 56 storefronts, resulting in nearly RD$800 million in economic losses.
Marcos Santana, head of communications for Merca Santo Domingo, confirmed that the demolition is a necessary step to clear the way for a new building where the displaced vendors will be relocated.
“The affected building is being evaluated for demolition because it cannot withstand any kind of repair,” Santana explained. “From an engineering standpoint, it must be torn down to make way for the construction of a new building that will be designed with the lessons learned from this past experience.”
Santana said the affected vendors have been temporarily relocated to other areas within Merca Santo Domingo and have been exempted from all payments and fees. This measure was put in place due to the massive financial losses they suffered.
“These individuals, due to what they’ve gone through, are exempt from any payment by order of the administration,” Santana said. “The general director, Sócrates Díaz, communicated to them the exoneration of all payments and expenses related to this situation.”
“The government has been present,” Santana stated. “Just this week, we had a meeting with government authorities, and each of the merchants was given their billing. They submitted their losses, and the government has already evaluated them and delivered the acceptance of the claims they’ve made.”
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El Dia
11 August 2025