Santa Cruz to Secure Dangerous Unfinished Building in Añaza Following Safety Concerns
Santa Cruz de Tenerife has commissioned emergency safety works at the abandoned Añaza building to prevent further accidents while legal hurdles regarding its eventual demolition remain unresolved.
Safety concerns at the unfinished building in Añaza, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, have reached a breaking point, forcing the local council to take emergency action. Following a tragic accident involving a minor last December and a recent near-miss that required police intervention, the city’s Urban Planning Department is stepping in to secure the site.
Zaida González, head of the Urban Planning Department, confirmed that the formal site report will be completed this Monday, clearing the way for immediate safety work. The contract has been awarded to Demoliciones y Derribos Tenerife for €113,000. The project is expected to take two months and will involve removing access ramps between the ground and fourth floors, clearing paths leading to the sixth floor, and sealing entry points with heavy-duty fencing.
The structure, a relic of a failed hotel project from over 50 years ago, has long been a safety hazard. Despite repeated efforts to fence off the area and post warning signs, vandals have consistently breached the site. These new measures, which include blocking access from Calle Mayántigo and sealing facade openings, are intended as a temporary fix while the city works toward the building’s total demolition.
While the three-million-euro demolition project has secured funding from the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Canary Islands government, the process remains stalled by legal complications. The building is owned by several different foreign entities, making the expropriation process difficult. The City Council must resolve these ownership issues before it can take full control of the property and finally remove the structure that has blighted the area for decades.