Santo Dominigo Mayor Roberto Salcedo and the Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo agreed to work together to rescue the Parque Litoral Sur on the southern side of the Malecon boulevard. The city government agreed to a 30-day plan and its subsequent maintenance. Mayor Salcedo said that the plan involves changing the face of the Malecon in three months by applying a proposal submitted to the Universidad Catolica Santo Domingo (UCSD) one year ago. The proposal was studied on Wednesday at the city government offices amid the presence of leading hotel chain representatives that operate on the Malecon.
The Malecon has been recently in the spotlight, after Hoy newspaper reported on the shacks and irregular constructions that have gone up in the park area, much to the indifference of city government officers.
Hoy newspaper said that the Malecon Center has offered to sponsor one kilometer of the Malecon by installing lights and gardens in the area in front of its residential and epicenter, where a Hilton Hotel will open in October 2004. Casa de Espana, located on the far western side of the park, has also offered to sponsor another large spread of the park. Grupo Leon Jimenes has already assumed responsibility for the care of the stretch of the park that lies in front of their offices on the Malecon.
The city government also has a proposal for the installation of a mini-golf center on the sea-fronting avenue. These plans call for the restructuring of the Juan Baron, Omar Torrijo and Guibia plazas to make them more tourist-friendly.