US$900M cruise tourism megaproject starts January: Diario Libre

Santo Domingo.- The transferof the Dominican Navy base from the harbor of ??San Souci next January willmark the start of the first phase of the tourism megaproject which seeks to makeSanto Domingo one of the Caribbean´s leading cruise destinations, diario Librereports.

The project to bebuilt at a cost of US$900.0 million over the next 15 years aims to attract morethan 500,000 cruise ship tourists at its terminal, in addition to others comingto Santo Domingo´s first giant convention center, planned for the Ozama River´seastern bank.

Sansouci Tourism Investmentdirector Jaime Castillo said construction of the first tower will start inJanuary, although Sans Souci Ports president Lisandro Macarrulla notes that theproject began long before, when the Sansouci cruise terminal was built at acost of about US$102 million.

Macarrulla said thesecond phase includes construction of the Convention Center, followed by acultural center, a mall and offices, a hospital, two hotels, a residential areaa "town center" and a beach club.