Santa Cruz Council Destroys Staircases to Seal Dangerous Abandoned Building in Añaza
Santa Cruz de Tenerife authorities have begun destroying interior staircases at the abandoned Añaza building to prevent unauthorized access while finalizing plans for the structure's eventual demolition.
Security at the unfinished building in Añaza, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is back in the spotlight following new efforts to seal off the property. As reported by Diario de Avisos, the City Council began destroying the building’s interior staircases this Friday. The goal is to make the abandoned structure inaccessible, as people continue to break into the site despite its dangerous condition.
This work is part of an emergency plan, announced in late July with a budget of 112,500 euros, designed to block all internal access points while officials finalize the legal process for the building’s total demolition. The urgency of these measures grew after a recent incident where an individual reached the top floor and found personal belongings of Matías, the 27-year-old who died at the site on July 18.
The Department of Urban Planning, led by Zaida González, has prioritized removing ramps and other ways to reach the upper levels. The ongoing unauthorized entries highlight the difficulty of managing a site that has been a long-standing public safety and urban planning challenge.
The Añaza building is a prominent example of a recurring issue across the Canary Islands, where the responsibilities of property owners often clash with public safety concerns. While the City Council carries out these containment measures, residents remain focused on the eventual demolition—a complex and sensitive project that has become one of the most pressing issues for the capital of Tenerife.