Hoy newspaper reports that the builders of two high-rise towers in the vicinity of the Hotel Embajador have the Junta de Vecinos de los Jardines del Embajador, a neighborhood board, out to stop them. In Santo Domingo, neighborhood groups have successfully won many cases in the past. Hoy newspaper denounced yesterday that government officers have violated Environmental Law 64-00 by authorizing the lease of 6,700 square meters of the Mirador del Sur parkland for the construction of two high-rise towers. For the project to become legal, Congress would have to approve the controversial lease, which is also meeting with opposition from the city government of Santo Domingo, upon whom the Ministry of Environment has delegated the management of the city park. Previously, the Mejia government had authorized the use of a portion of the Mirador del Sur Park for the construction of a parking area for tenants of a nearby apartment complex.
The environmental director of the city government of Santo Domingo, Jose Miguel Martinez, told Hoy newspaper that a worker clearing the area was questioned by reporters, who were then referred to the head of maintenance of the Hotel Embajador. The newspaper reporters also observed that construction materials on the hotel grounds were similar to those found in the area that the community and city government claim as public park areas.