Santa Cruz Seizes 'Añaza Eyesore' After Fatal Fall
The Santa Cruz City Council has initiated the compulsory takeover of the "Añaza eyesore," an unfinished hotel where a child recently died, but faces the challenge of notifying over 400 foreign owners before its planned demolition next year.
The Santa Cruz City Council's Urban Planning department has started the process to compulsorily take over an old, unfinished hotel, often called the 'Añaza eyesore.' This decision comes after a child tragically died there last December from a fall. The council will notify the former owners that it is seizing the property because the building, located on Mayantigo Street in the Southwest neighborhood, is unfinished, lacks proper permits, and has not fulfilled its social purpose.
Councilor Zaida González confirmed yesterday that the expropriation paperwork is now being processed to inform the two Spanish entities on record, Comunidad de Bienes Santa María and Promociones y Servicios Los Guíos (Progrisa). However, the council is still waiting for guidance from the Directorate of Consular Affairs on how to notify the more than 400 foreign owners of the property.
González explained that the process is currently halfway. The expropriation cannot be finalized until the Ministry provides solutions for locating and individually notifying the large number of owners, most of whom are German.
To speed things up, she announced plans to translate the expropriation resolution into several languages. This will ensure that once the Ministry clarifies how the notifications should be made, the process can move forward quickly.
González emphasized that despite appearances, the department is actively working. "The work is progressing, and we are striving to meet the deadlines set for the demolition of the Añaza building," she said. Nearly 3 million euros have been budgeted for the demolition, which is expected to happen next year.
In addition to the expropriation, new security measures have been approved for the abandoned building. These are aimed at preventing people from entering due to the significant dangers inside.
González explained that these security works will cost 112,500 euros. They will be carried out by the council, even though the building isn't municipal property yet, and are expected to begin in about two months, once the necessary approval is published in the Official State Gazette.
The department will repair existing fences, block access to a path that runs alongside the nearly 36,000 square meter site and provides ground-level entry to the sixth floor. Stairs from the ground floor to the fourth floor will be demolished to stop people from moving around inside. Grilles will also be installed in facade openings, and the electro-welded fence will be fixed.
The Urban Planning councilor noted that to implement these security measures, they evaluated all options and chose to focus on better enclosure and demolishing parts of the structure. This approach aims to deter people from entering and reaching the upper floors.
Construction of the 22-story hotel in Añaza started in 1973 but stopped just two years later. This massive concrete structure, with its deteriorating foundations, has been abandoned by its owners and has tragically led to five deaths. In 2018, the city council fenced off the site and put up warning signs in multiple languages, highlighting the dangers of entering the illegal, half-finished building. These warnings remain in place. Also in 2018, the council began efforts to track down the owners, as it is a private property.