About 3,000 families and school staff within the Piantini neighborhood in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic has asked Minister of Finance Simón Lizardo to deny a gambling license for a 23,000 square foot casino under construction at the Hard Rock Hotel. In a letter to Lizardo, the group expressed their “categorical rejection of the installation of a casino in the heart of Piantini,” stating the casino is “completely incompatible” with a residential neighborhood that includes numerous educational facilities, and that it would be one of the largest in the country.
In defense of the project, Arturo Villaneuva, vice president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic, said, “There are schools everywhere and they are closer to hotels with casinos. It is surprising that the protest is happening now. That one casino will be bigger than the others is not a problem. Yet they have the right to protest and that has to be respected.” The Hard Rock Casino was unanimously approved by the Tourist Development Council, consisting of the ministries of Tourism, Finance, Environment, Culture and the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic.
Villanueva noted local building laws were changed and the zone where the casino is being built now is a commercial zone. He added concerns over parking are unfounded since a six-story garage also is being built. “The investors have complied with all that the law demands. It has also been approved by the technical department of the Ministry of Tourism,” Villaneuva said.
