In the past, we've already made a feature on the Malecon Center, one of the Dominican Republic's most developed centers and serves home to the some of the country's most popular restaurants and casinos. This network of skyscrapers is really a place that any urban dwelling visitor should not miss.
It already goes without saying that, in order for these areas to further prosper, there is the need to secure the place. People who usually visit these places come from the higher parts of the social ladder, so there's a must to ensure that security is visible, while crime is invisible.
But recent events don't seem to abide by these principles. A group of restaurant and hotel owners have already expressed their fear and warned the government on the inadequate lighting and security that is being placed in the seaside boulevard of Malecon. Representatives from the Asonahores and the Santo Domingo Hotels Association warned the government of the dangerous atmosphere in the area, with at least three hold-up cases reported here every single week.
As a response, National District City Council Secretary Domingo Contreras announced that lighting in the area may be concluded in the weeks leading to the yearend, with the tender offers announced this March. Sometimes you gotta wonder why there's so much bureaucracy. It's just lighting that hoteliers in Malecon are wishing for. Why is there a need to wait for around three quarters just to have the complex secured? It should've been well lit even then, anyway. Security and lighting are just among the two basic things that have been instituted even before opening an urban complex to the general public, as these areas are prone to crime and terrorism.
And I must say that I was terribly disappointed. If the government does not do anything immediately about the matter, then I won't be surprised if less and less tourists proceed to Malecon and, ultimately, that can mean bad business for everyone involved.
