San Felipe fort. Puerto Plata.
PUERTO PLATA. - Law 256-75 that limits the buildings to only three floors from Punta Isabela to Cabrera is in the main obstacle to investments as high as US$1.0 billion in real estate tourism projects in the zone of Cabarete, says the head of the local hoteliers
Lorenzo Sancasanni said all those projects are at a standstill awaiting a president Leonel Fernandez decree to modify the situation and allow construction of up to four stories. He said Fernandez already authorized constructions of up to four floors in Puerto Plata’s Malecon, from Paul Harris street to Long Beach.
Business leaders and government officials say they are joining forces to relaunch the Atlantic coast tourist region, taking advantage of its more than 16,000 rooms and natural attractions, which they affirm generate more than one billion dollars per year.
They said they’ll have 1.8 million dollars to present Puerto Plata as a “POP” tourist destination, to reach new niches and better quality markets.
Puerto Plata receives 30 percent of the tourists who visit the country in its nearly 16,000 rooms, they said, adding that from January to October the figure reached 34,253 passengers, of 3.4 percent more than that same period last year by the local airport.
They added that most of those tourists are from Canada, followed by England, France and the U.S.
SOURCE: listin.com.do
Written by: buenoha, 1 Dec 2008 9:22 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo
Why only 3 or four stories? Let them build up their own skyline! Do not hamper development! Please connect Puerto Plata to Santiago, Santo Domingo and Punta Cana by train service.
From: United States, Richmond, Texas
There are many places in the world that have height restrictions for beach resorts and hotels. In the Myan Riveria, outside of Cancun, none of the hotels are over 3 floors and they build sprawling complexes complete with convention centers. If the issue is the number of rooms do they have to be in towers or can they be in out buildings.
Written by: skysail, 1 Dec 2008 10:01 AM
From: Holy See (Vatican City)
Written by: skysail, 1 Dec 2008 10:01 AM
From: Holy See (Vatican City)
Written by: anthonyC, 1 Dec 2008 10:07 AM
From: United States
What is the point of the 3 floor limit?
To protect puerto plata's "Unique" Architecture? Give me a break.
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
at this moment if there is some one waiting to build a hotel in this market climate first they are nuts second they are nuts
Written by: anthonyC, 1 Dec 2008 11:28 AM
From: United States
GC,
Now is the time to build. Real Estate prices are down. deals to be made.
By the time you finish the project the economy will be turned around.
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
thats a positive thought for you.....not a gamble I would make for a couple of years
From: United States
The negative economic wave is hitting the DR hard... anyone willing to develop on the North Coast or anywhere else in the Country should be kissed not kicked.
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
tonyc is starting to sound Pollyanna like the wanker
Written by: Jander, 1 Dec 2008 3:24 PM
From: Dominican Republic
It's official: U.S. is in recession
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 15 minutes ago
So maybe three floors will be enough for the time being, whaddya think ?
Written by: vonstier, 1 Dec 2008 4:29 PM
From: United States
Please don't let it happen. There are many more benifits from low density building than for trashing up Puerta Plata or any more fo the north coast with highrises. Can't you see that...why let big developers coming in and make the money and leave.
Written by: anthonyC, 1 Dec 2008 4:39 PM
From: United States
Written by: vonstier, 1 Dec 2008 4:29 PM
From: United States
Please don't let it happen. There are many more benifits from low density building than for trashing up Puerta Plata
Have you ever been to Puerto Plata?
Look up trashy in the dictionary and there is a photo of Puerto Plata.
From: Dominican Republic
They already allowed construction of a Multicentro La Sirena on the Malecon in Puerto Plata; goes to show tourism isn't much of a priority. And who will go to a city where everything closes at 12:00 midnight?
In Cabarete, the only hotel still open is the Viva Tangerine, so all downwards tourism wise. They're building a godawful lot of condos, and sales are not up to projections. Anyways, you can't see the ocean anymore from the road, like a poor man's Collins Ave. So, whether 3 or 30 storeys won't make much of a diiference.
Same in Sosua: 2 hotels remain in operation. The city looks somewhat like Sun City Arizona, full of old geezers limpin' their way to the Supermarket.
Common factor to all three: impossible to breathe. This area has become so polluted it makes downtown Bangkok look clean.
So, tourism has nothing to do with the number of floors. This place has gone to waste a long time ago, and there ain't nothing that'll fix it.
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
we call that " Gods waiting room " where all the old geezers are ....Plus the dirty old disgusting clown generoso looking for young chics
Written by: yumnuk3, 1 Dec 2008 9:06 PM
From: United States, New York City
Goulet, What the hell did you do with josean?
we want answers.
Written by: OndeVert, 1 Dec 2008 11:23 PM
From: United States
Resonance and the Puerto Rico Trench! Maybe this will trigger the answer you need!
From: United States
WaterPolo, if tourism is not a priority in Puerto Plata, then they wasted a god awful lot of money building the artificial beach along the malecon. some Dutch boys (and some politicians) sure made off with a bag of money. and the beach is ruined anyway, as the sand gets dragged out by currents, and the swimming are is great if you are in the mood for a mud bath. there is no provision for storm drains, and garbage ends up in the water. i agree whole heartedly with you; tourism in this area is shot to pieces. a bunch of clueless amateurs failed to plan it properly, and have set the wheels in motion for a bunch of ghost towns. Playa Dorada is operating at probably 45% staff, in December! guys are closing restaurants on the PP malecon at 7pm, and all day sunday! so much for the boom. Playa Dorada can never come back; it will remain the refuse bin for the euro tour companies like Thomas Cook, with their 600 dollar 1 week tours. at those prices, airfare included, what does the DR get
From: United States
out of the deal? i hope the same ideas are not being applied in Bavaro and other resort areas, or we are well on the way to creating an island littered with dustbowl towns, like those on the US/MEXICO border. sad, but true.
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
yes dread the eat and drink till you puke rubber chicken buffet crowd will be in Puerto Plata
From: United States
they are already there, but in noticeably reduced numbers. at least the chambermaids get a respite of sorts; less vomitus to mop!
From: Dominican Republic
Dread,
Right on!
From: United States
thank you , WaterPolo. i am like the umpire "i calls them as i sees them".
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
unfortunately dread Puerto Plata is the hind tit in terms of investment by the government and private...They also did not have Dynamic people like the ones who envisioned Punta Cana in its infancy many years ago ie Rainieri ...Oscar de la Renta, Julio Iglesias Ted Kheel etc
Written by: yumnuk3, 2 Dec 2008 9:36 AM
From: United States, New York City
Do you think that a train from Santiago to Puerto Plata will help the area's development?
From: United States
i personally think it will. if i had a choice, i would have done it instead of the metro. heck, a Pullman style car would be a tourism possibility.
Written by: yumnuk3, 2 Dec 2008 9:53 AM
From: United States, New York City
I agree Santiago is a great place with good night life, and good people.
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
no beach little history no shopping no tourism
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
those are the hard cold facts ....Pullman tourism would be great for DR image but not really generate much money
From: Dominican Republic
One sure thing: a passenger/freight train from POP to STGO would rid us of those horrible and dangerous overloaded animal feed trucks on the way to Navarrete and central Cibao, as well as the Kamikaze bus service.
But it won't happen, the unions won't allow it.
Written by: yumnuk3, 2 Dec 2008 7:31 PM
From: United States, New York City
Written by: gouletcolonial, 2 Dec 2008 9:54 AM
From: British Virgin Islands, Norman Island aboard the William Thornton
no beach little history no shopping no tourism
Las Vegas is in the middle of the desert... all we need is golf courses, and casinos Santiago already has a lot of nightclubs.
From: Canada, Toronto ,Cabbagetown,Parliament and Gerrard
Yumnuk3 only if you could dig up Sinatra and bring him back to life to play in Santiago then maybe somebody would go there.....otherwise forget it.....maybe a Beatles reunion might do it with John and George as well
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To protect puerto plata's "Unique" Architecture? Give me a break.
Now is the time to build. Real Estate prices are down. deals to be made.
By the time you finish the project the economy will be turned around.
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 15 minutes ago
So maybe three floors will be enough for the time being, whaddya think ?
From: United States
Please don't let it happen. There are many more benifits from low density building than for trashing up Puerta Plata
Have you ever been to Puerto Plata?
Look up trashy in the dictionary and there is a photo of Puerto Plata.
In Cabarete, the only hotel still open is the Viva Tangerine, so all downwards tourism wise. They're building a godawful lot of condos, and sales are not up to projections. Anyways, you can't see the ocean anymore from the road, like a poor man's Collins Ave. So, whether 3 or 30 storeys won't make much of a diiference.
Same in Sosua: 2 hotels remain in operation. The city looks somewhat like Sun City Arizona, full of old geezers limpin' their way to the Supermarket.
Common factor to all three: impossible to breathe. This area has become so polluted it makes downtown Bangkok look clean.
So, tourism has nothing to do with the number of floors. This place has gone to waste a long time ago, and there ain't nothing that'll fix it.
we want answers.
Right on!
But it won't happen, the unions won't allow it.
From: British Virgin Islands, Norman Island aboard the William Thornton
no beach little history no shopping no tourism
Las Vegas is in the middle of the desert... all we need is golf courses, and casinos Santiago already has a lot of nightclubs.