Tenerife Begins Demolition of La Laguna Barracks for New Elderly Care Center
The Tenerife Island Council has launched a 2.1 million euro project to demolish the former El Cristo artillery barracks in San Cristóbal de La Laguna to make way for a new social and healthcare center for the elderly.
The transformation of San Cristóbal de La Laguna’s city center has reached a major turning point. The Tenerife Island Council (Cabildo) has officially begun the process to demolish a large section of the former El Cristo artillery barracks. This project, with a budget of over 2.1 million euros, is the first step toward turning the historic site into a state-of-the-art social and healthcare center for the elderly.
The plan, currently open for public review for 20 working days, involves tearing down roughly 8,300 square meters of buildings on the 18,500-square-meter site. This project is a priority because of the urgent need for more residential care in the metropolitan area, which is home to nearly 46% of Tenerife’s population over the age of 65—a group totaling about 75,000 people. Once completed, the complex will be managed by the Island Institute for Social and Sociosanitary Care (IASS) and will offer a range of services, including assisted living, specialized medical care, and day programs.
The demolition work is technically challenging because the site is located in a busy urban area right next to the Royal Sanctuary of the Most Holy Christ of La Laguna. Because of the site’s proximity to historic late-19th-century buildings and the presence of asbestos in some of the roofs, the project will follow strict safety protocols. A specialized team will remove the asbestos before the six-month dismantling process begins, using a mix of manual and mechanical methods.
This move marks the end of two decades of inactivity at the barracks, which had been closed since 2013 after serving military functions for over 170 years. The Island Council purchased the land from the Ministry of Defense for over eight million euros in late 2024, finally allowing the site to be repurposed. In addition to the new care facility, the urban plan sets aside a strip of land to allow for the future expansion of Camino Cañaveral.
The demolition will affect several former barracks buildings, including pavilions, warehouses, and offices. The work will be carefully managed to protect nearby walls and essential infrastructure. By repurposing this military site, the Island Council aims to provide a vital social resource for the city, helping to meet the care needs of an aging population in a municipality that currently hosts eleven of the island’s 68 residential care centers.