The restoration of Recova Vieja in Santa Cruz has been delayed: costs have increased fivefold.
In Santa Cruz, the three-year, €3.3 million renovation of the historic Recova Vieja building is being completed, transforming it into an arts center using traditional methods and local materials.
In Santa Cruz, the renovation of Recova Vieja, located in the city center, is almost complete. The repairs have been ongoing for three years and are scheduled to be finished next month. The cost has amounted to 3.3 million euros, significantly more than the initially planned 650,000 euros. This was announced by the city's mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, during a visit to the building, which is being transformed into the La Recova art center.
The mayor explained that the renovation was delayed due to issues with the roof. It was even necessary to declare a state of emergency and completely replace all the beams, using old construction methods and mulberry wood.
The construction advisor, Javier Rivero, added that old pine beams were used for the roof. This caused delays to the work, which began in 2022 and was supposed to be completed in the summer of 2023. Now, it is planned to be finished in the fall. Currently, the interior walls are being plastered, and wooden doors and windows are being made by hand.
Rivero emphasized that the 3.3 million euros is the total amount, which includes not only the usual work but also additional tasks that arose during the process. For example, it was decided to decorate the facade with stone from a local quarry to ensure the building matches the historical style.
According to Rivero, after the renovation is complete, preparations will begin for the opening of the premises. First, electricity will be installed, and then the cultural organization will take over the restoration of the space. They will decide when and with what cultural program to open Recova Vieja. After the work is finished at the end of October, it is planned to hold some of the events from the Guimerá Theater there, which is also currently under renovation. There will also be storage space for the capital's theater props. According to the advisor, one of the exhibition halls will open earlier.
The urban planning advisor, Zaida González, noted that the renovation has been done to a very high standard. Recova Vieja is an important historical building, so its reconstruction was approached with special attention.