Dominican Republic begins $1.7M restoration of Casa Aybar

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Started 16D · Updated 16D

The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism has begun restoring Casa Aybar, a historic building in Santo Domingo's Colonial City, with an investment of RD$102,288,093 (about USD 1.75 million). The project aims to rehabilitate the structure and transform it into an institutional, cultural, and tourist space while preserving its heritage value .

Scope of work

The restoration includes repairing facades, roofs, floors, doors, windows, and other architectural elements, as well as correcting humidity and filtration issues and reinforcing deteriorated walls . Electrical, sanitary, and climate-control systems will be upgraded, along with fire protection. A complementary building will be constructed to house public bathrooms and a cafeteria . The property will eventually host institutional offices, cultural and tourist services, ticketing, visitor information, temporary exhibitions, and public amenities .

Street repairs and supervision

The project also covers the repair of Calle Las Atarazanas, where Casa Aybar is located, including cobblestones, sidewalks, curbs, steps, and storm drainage . The work is supervised by the Comité Ejecutor de Infraestructuras de Zonas Turísticas (CEIZTUR) .

Broader context and projections

Tourism Minister David Collado noted that the ministry has invested about USD 10 million in the Colonial City, part of a larger project backed by a USD 90 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) . He said the transformation has boosted tourist visits to the area from 7% to 13% of all arrivals . Collado also acknowledged the difficulties faced by residents and merchants during construction, particularly temporary street closures . He projected that 2026 could be the best year in Dominican tourism history, with over 12 million visitors expected .

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