Pérez Minik Theater Demolition Approved in Tenerife

The Pérez Minik theater, found within Viera y Clavijo park in Tenerife's capital, is set to be torn down after nearly 50 years. The Santa Cruz City Council has received approval from the Cabildo's Historical Heritage department for the demolition. The theater is currently in ruins. In its place, a new underground multi-purpose hall with parking will be built. Historical Heritage believes this plan "does not harm the cultural importance (BIC) of the old La Asunción school. In fact, it could even make the school building look better and restore its original appearance."

The report, seen by DIARIO DE AVISOS, also states that these plans will be detailed in future construction projects. These projects will need further review and approval, based on technical rules for protecting historical sites, as well as other building and legal regulations.

The idea of demolishing the Pérez Minik theater has been controversial for many years. In 2013, the same year the theater closed due to its poor condition, the Association for the Rehabilitation of Viera y Clavijo Park reported concerns to Seprona. They argued that the Canary Islands Government planned to demolish a theater that was a protected cultural asset (BIC), which stopped the demolition at the time. However, once renovation work began on the cultural complex – which will house the future CaixaForum – the association again raised alarms. Its president, Ana Mendoza, told this newspaper last September that the City Council and Cabildo had a plan to change the site's urban planning. This plan, she said, involved demolishing the Pérez Minik without officially removing its protected status or declaring it ruined, to build an underground auditorium beneath a large public square.

Mendoza believes these plans are "questionable." She also suggested they could amount to "theft of heritage" by a public authority, a crime outlined in article 323 of the Penal Code. She argued that demolishing the building without following proper legal steps would not only break current laws but also seriously endanger the city's cultural history.

Despite the controversy, the City Council can now move forward with the demolition, thanks to the Historical Heritage department's approval. Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez welcomed the news. He stated, "The Cabildo's message supports our initial plan to change the Viera y Clavijo park's layout to demolish the Pérez Minik theater. This makes it completely legal to build a new one as part of the park's second phase of renovation and its future role as CaixaForum."

Infrastructure Councilor Javier Rivero emphasized that the document from Historical Heritage is important because "it clarifies that the claims made by an association defending Viera y Clavijo – that we couldn't demolish the old Pérez Minik theater because it was protected and that we would be committing a crime – are not true." The document states that the demolition is not only acceptable but also, as officials have always argued, the theater was an addition that blocked the view of Viera y Clavijo and therefore needed to be removed.