- The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MIMARENA) has approved the environmental license for the development of the Punta Bergantín tourism project in Puerto Plata
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MIMARENA) has approved the environmental license for the development of the Punta Bergantín tourism project in Puerto Plata, allowing construction work on its various components to commence starting in August.
Andrés Marranzini Grullón, the executive director of the Punta Bergantín , explained that the environmental authorization covers an area of 9.6 million square meters and excludes the construction of infrastructure in wetlands, mangroves, dunes, marshes, streams, and any other environmentally vulnerable areas within the development.
The Trust for the Economic and Social Development of the Punta Bergantín Area (Punta Bergantín Trust) is a Dominican government initiative managed by the Banco de Reservas and the Ministry of Tourism. Its aim is to put Puerto Plata back on the world tourism map by leveraging its natural beauty and the hospitality of its people.
The license approves the construction of nine hotels, including apartment buildings, villas, mixed-use townhouses, commercial spaces, an innovation center, film studios, administrative offices, a hospital area, golf club, beach club, tennis club, and a club for the apartment area, as well as an equestrian center and a theme park.
According to the project manager, agreements are in place with developers for the development of three hotels to date: an 800-room Hyatt Ziva and Zilara, a Melia Hotel with 400 rooms through a joint investment with Melia Hotels and Grupo Punta Cana, and a Karisma hotel with 300 rooms.
This initiative, according to the Punta Bergantín Trust, takes a comprehensive development approach and aims to accommodate at least 4,500 hotel rooms, 2,000 tourism and mixed-use residential units, public access beach clubs, and the creation of a unique thematic village in the region, alongside a film studio and innovation center.
Regarding the environmental license, the ministry has mandated the establishment of hydrological zoning, prioritizing wetland areas, water production, and biodiversity conservation to ensure a mandatory 30-meter protection zone on both sides of existing watercourses and along the banks of lakes, lagoons, and reservoirs.
According to the trust, a 30-meter strip on both sides of rivers, streams, and creeks in Muñoz, Jacuba, Limonal, Chicigua, Polanco, and Atollador, which traverse and border the project area, will be respected. The 30-meter strip around Laguna Bergantín will also be respected.
Among its commitments, the promoter will adhere to the best practices of environmental land use planning, establish hydrological zoning, prioritize wetland areas, water production, and biodiversity conservation, among other measures.
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