Puerto Plata.- The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has granted an environmental license for the Punta Bergantín tourism project in Puerto Plata, enabling construction to begin on various components starting this August.
Andrés Marranzini Grullón, Executive Director of the Punta Bergantín Tourism Project, stated that the environmental authorization covers an area of 9.6 million square meters and excludes infrastructure development in wetlands, mangroves, dunes, swamps, ravines, and other environmentally vulnerable areas within the project site.
The Trust for the Economic and Social Development of the Punta Bergantín Zone (Fideicomiso Punta Bergantín), initiated by the Dominican Government and managed by the Reserve Bank and the Ministry of Tourism, aims to “put Puerto Plata back on the world’s tourist map,” leveraging the area’s natural beauty and the hospitality of its people.
The license approves the construction of nine hotels, including apartment buildings, villas, mixed-use townhouses, and commercial areas; an Innovation Center; film studios, administrative offices, a hospital area, a Golf Club, a Beach Club, a Tennis Club, a club for the apartment area, an equestrian club, and a theme park.
Currently, agreements have been made with developers for the construction of three hotels: a Hyatt Ziva and Zilara with 800 rooms, a Melia Hotel with 400 rooms, and Karisma Hotels with 300 rooms.
The Punta Bergantín Trust aims to create a comprehensive development including at least 4,500 hotel rooms, 2,000 mixed-use and tourist residential units, public beach clubs, a unique theme village, a film studio, and an innovation center.
The Ministry of Environment also mandates the establishment of hydrological zoning to prioritize wetland areas, water production, and biodiversity conservation. This includes a mandatory 30-meter protection strip along both banks of river currents, lakes, lagoons, and reservoirs, specifically respecting a 30-meter strip along rivers, ravines, and streams such as Muñoz, Jacuba, Limonal, Chicigua, Polanco, and Atollador, which cross and border the project development area.