The “Radio-Hotel” building, located at the intersections of Amsterdam Avenue and 181st Street in the heart of the Dominican community in New York, was inaugurated on Monday afternoon.
The 22-story building has a 221-room hotel, a nightclub and a restaurant, both inspired by emblematic businesses of the Dominican Republic.
The building will house the facilities of Jalao, the Dominican restaurant located in the Colonial Zone that will now open its doors in that city, with the collaboration of chef Richard Sandoval.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by Ydanis Rodriguez, the city’s Transportation Commissioner, Congressman Adriano Espaillat and Mayor Eric Adams.
Jalao’s owner, Antonio Espaillat, assured NY1 that the building will have a space where the community will be able to celebrate all its events, weddings, conventions, baptisms and birthdays, and that the concept will feature live merengue and bachata.
“Dominicans have to feel very good that there are people who are believing in them, who are making this kind of investment in this area. In other words, it gives a great importance that we really have and we deserve,” Espaillat told NY1.
The portal highlights that the inauguration of this new building fuels the fear of Dominicans that rental prices will continue to rise and the process of gentrification of Washington Heights will accelerate.
“The owners say that the hotel with all its businesses will be operating at full capacity within a month, but the 221 rooms are already available for those who wish to reserve them,” NY1 noted.
