New Golf Courses at Playa Rincon, Samana and Restarting Highway

[Jasper]

From today's HOY newspaper. I'll believe it when I see it, but don't doubt it's possible:


Fecha: 2-11-2003


Un banco de Colombia financiará autopista


La construcción de la autopista Santo Domingo-Samaná será reanudada este mes luego de que un banco de Colombia aprobara el financiamiento de US$125 millones y empezara su desembolso, reveló ayer el senador Ramiro Espino.

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Cambiar tamaño

Por Pedro Germosen
Redactor de HOY


El senador de Samaná dijo que la información se la suministró el presidente Hipólito Mejía, quien se mostró interesado en el desarrollo de aquel polo turístico.
Manifestó que según le informaron el jefe del Estado y el secretario de Obras Públicas, Miguel Vargas Maldonado, la construcción continuará sin pausa hasta que sea concluida.
Espino señaló que según el consorcio Carretera del Nordeste, que ejecuta la obra, el tiempo de construcción restante es de un año y seis meses.
Recordó que se trata de una concesión en la que el concesionario invierte el 80 por ciento de la inversión y el Estado el 20 por ciento restante.
La recuperación de los recursos invertidos se hará a través del cobro de peaje en la autopista Santo Domingo-Samaná, que tendrá una distancia de 105 kilómetros.
Tras señalar que la construcción está prácticamente paralizada, el senador Espino dijo que el presidente Mejía y el titular de Obras Públicas le aseguraron que este mes los trabajos serán reanudados y continuarán sin pausa hasta su terminación.
Señaló que el mandatario le dijo que la operación de canalización de los fondos entre la entidad prestataria y el consorcio ejecutor de la obra es realizada a través del Banco de Reservas.
Expresó que la vía acercará a Samaná y la capital, ya que el tramo podrá ser recorrido en alrededor de una hora a velocidad moderada.
El congresista del Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD) significó que esta obra dará un gran impulso al desarrollo turístico de su provincia.
Por otro lado, el senador Espino informó que inversionistas privadas anunciaron la construcción de dos campos de golf en la comunidad Rincón de Las Galeras, Samaná.


Copyright Periódico Hoy

[Ken]

The PRD is getting ready for the election. They are going to be promising big things to every sector of the DR in the hope of getting their votes on election day.

[Jasper]

no doubt you're correct, but even so, if they work on the highway for another 7 months, they might get the 1st km of the highway completed! if the land they're talking about for the golf course is where i think it is, down in the valley, below the town of rincon, then that would likely make a great place for a course. soft, rolling land. gets a decent amount of rain as well. and has good soil. we'll do some investigating and find out who owns that land and who, if anybody, is behind the plan or if it's just a bunch of hot, white air.

[Ken]

Jasper, how is the golf course at Las Galeras? During the years I lived there, a lot of work was done and a lot of plans were announced. So far I have seen no reference on this board to anyone playing it. Does that mean what I think it does?

What about the huge marina in the Samana harbor, the cruise ships coming in to discharge passengers, etc. I see a lot of pilings and a huge area has been stripped of top soil for, I suppose, a parking lot able to hold several thousand cars. What is the status of that project?

The list is long; the above doesn't even scratch the surface.

[Jasper]

too true. but all the projects you name are government projects for the most part. the highway is 80% private money. so if it's not just a political gimmick, then it might come to something before we take in our last breath. the golf courses they say are private as well. but might be a political gimmick. we'll have to hear more this week when it's announced. but if golf courses come, then that means that the hotel project at rincon will also begin. as far as cruise ships go, i read somewhere that there will be 2 weekly cruise vessels this winter at samana - up from 1 per week - due to popularity of destination. the most hopeful sign is the fact that a runway is being slowly dug out at El Catey Airport. I saw it with my own eyes 3 weeks ago. I know cheering for samana is akin to being a cubs fan - no sense getting too up, because they'll just let you down. but if you look at the big picture, then i think you'll see it makes sense. if one is going to make a significant project, then now is the time to do it. the peso has fallen tremendously, land can be bought at a steal from desperate land owners, lots of unemployment so even though the cost of materials has gone up significantly, investors could surely do a large-scale project and save tremendously over just a couple years ago or maybe in two years time if/when peso stabilizes to historically normal levels because labour is plentiful and cheap. I know for a fact that 350,000 sq mtrs of beachfront on rincon bay sold this week to foreign investors. once the imf deal is signed - and it will be because usa doesn't want anymore boat people into puerto rico and they will ensure a deal is done - then you'll see the area transform quickly. as far as the marina, maybe if leonel comes back, he might finish what he started - if he has any money. but we'll have to wait until his Broken Promises Tour 2004 hits Samana. talking to one of the managers of casa marina las galeras a few weeks ago, he said that they still have plans to convert the land beside the hotel into a golf course. i don't see that happening, but the land is still in their hands apparently.