Santa Cruz Abandoned Hotel: Teen Dies, Selfie-Takers Removed
An abandoned Santa Cruz hotel, where a 13-year-old girl recently died after falling and other youths were caught taking selfies, remains a dangerous attraction as the city works towards its demolition by 2027.
An old, unfinished hotel that has stood on the coast of Santa Cruz's Añaza neighborhood for 52 years continues to be in the news. Last Thursday, a 13-year-old girl died after falling from the fifth floor of the huge building. Then, on Monday, local police had to remove four other young people who were on the sixth floor taking selfies inside the abandoned structure.
Police sources confirmed yesterday that local residents had called officers after seeing young people entering the building. The site is fenced off and sealed, with signs warning people not to enter.
The young people who were removed had apparently gone to the area for a swim on the public holiday. They then decided to go into the ruined building to take pictures, not realizing how dangerous it was to be inside a 22-story building that has been empty for 50 years. "This building attracts young people who go there to take photos for social media. Luckily, nothing else happened this time," the sources said.
Zaida González, the Santa Cruz City Council's Councillor for Urban Planning, also pointed out that security measures are still in place and that investigations into who privately owns the land are ongoing. In response to a question from the PSOE for tomorrow's municipal control commission, it was explained that "in 2018, a net was put up around the building, along with 25 signs in Spanish and English. These signs, placed every ten meters around the entire building, warn people not to enter the property due to danger."
The building, which sits on a plot of land larger than 40,000 square meters, was abandoned by its owners in 1975. It was owned by a German company, and the City Council is trying to find them to inform them about the expropriation process. This is a necessary step before the City Council can take ownership of the building and demolish it, which is planned for 2027. To help with this, the Consulate has asked the relevant German Ministry for information.