Arts Shopping Center Faces Demolition Due to Illegal Construction

The future of the Arts shopping center in Punta del Camisón (Playa de Las Américas) looks increasingly bleak. A court-appointed expert in Arona has issued a devastating report. He prepared it for three years and concluded that the construction is illegal and, worst of all, cannot be legalized. This means that a significant portion of the shopping center, which should not have been built in this form at all, will have to be demolished.

An independent expert was hired in 2021 to verify whether the Arts was built legally. This happened after the prosecutor's office complained about Luis García, the then head of urban development, and Damián Hernández Fumero, the head of the Arona urban planning department.

The expert spent three years collecting documents, many of which were provided by the same officials who were complained about. The report took so long to prepare due to delays with the documents. But this allowed the expert to thoroughly analyze all the violations on 84 pages.

The report states that the analysis was based on the city's development plan from 1993, building codes, and the law on the coast. The conclusion is clear: the violations are so serious that the construction is not only illegal (because it was done without permission), but it cannot be legalized. That is, there is no way to make everything legal.

The expert listed exactly what needs to be demolished to bring the building into compliance with the law. This includes the superstructure, illegal use of basements, structures near the shore, parts that have been converted into residential premises, canopies, new flooring near the shore, and redevelopment of shops. Even the public toilets in the basement will have to be demolished and moved.

Arts was once advertised as a cool place on the seafront, in one of the most popular areas of Playa de Las Américas. Its opening was eagerly awaited by entrepreneurs and locals. But from the very beginning, there were suspicions about how it affects the coastline and how close it is to public property. Now the expert's report is a major blow to the project and to those who believed it would be important for the economy of the south of the island.

The demolition will affect not only the appearance of Punta del Camisón, but also dozens of companies operating there. They will find themselves in a difficult situation if the demolition order is carried out.

The report shows how construction has been carried out in Arona in recent years. The officials who were complained about are considered responsible for authorizing the works that the court now considers impossible to legalize. The investigation is ongoing, and this report is important evidence.

The document is large and convincing. It lists many violations that show that the construction went beyond what is permitted by law. The analysis is so clear that it leaves no chance of legalization: the violations are too serious to be corrected.

After this report, the trial moves to a new stage. Now the court must decide what to do next. But everything indicates that the Arts will have to be partially demolished. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs, locals and tourists are watching this story, which could change the face of Camisón and start a new era in urban development.

The expert's conclusion sounds like a warning: Arts was illegal from the start, and the court believes it cannot be legalized.