"I’m just waiting for Senate approval," said Jose Joaquin Puello of the pending legislation that would transfer title to the Pan Am Games Organizing Committee of the land where the Pan Am Village is to built. The head of the committee said that he was not anticipating any surprises and that 414,000 square meters of land on Santo Domingo’s eastern fringe would be ceded to the committee as expected. Puello also said that President Hipolito Mejia will shortly be announcing the names of the banks that will finance construction of the village, expected to house more than 5,000 athletes, trainers and managers who will come to the DR to participate in the Games scheduled for 2003. "We have nothing to do with that," said Puello, "the government is handling it." The proposal to host the Pan Am Games has spurred great controversy. Opponents contend that the DR cannot afford the costs, and point out that an exact cost for the construction, planning and arrangements has yet to be fixed.
