Are they planning to demolish a historic theater in Tenerife for a new CaixaForum center?
In Tenerife, an organization is raising the alarm about plans to demolish the historic Pérez Minik Theater after its restoration in order to build a modern hall in its place.
In Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife, the organization "For the Restoration of the Viera y Clavijo Cultural Park" is raising the alarm about the situation with the Pérez Minik Theater. This theater is part of a historical complex that has the status of a cultural monument.
The theater was closed for restoration back in 2023. Local authorities promise to open it to visitors in 2026, after the first phase of work. But there is a nuance: in the second phase, the Pérez Minik Theater is planned to be demolished to build a new modern hall in its place.
The president of the association, Ana Mendoza, stated that the city and island councils have agreed to change the development plan of the territory. According to her, the theater will be demolished without excluding it from the register of cultural heritage and without officially announcing it. They want to make a large square on the site of the theater, and build a new hall underground.
Mendoza believes that such actions may be a crime against cultural heritage. The demolition of the theater without complying with all the necessary procedures is a violation of the law, which threatens the historical value of the city.
She also recalled the events of 2015, when the Seprona environmental protection service and the prosecutor's office intervened in the situation. Then they issued conclusions that prohibited any actions that could harm the cultural monument. The association claims that initially the architecture and historical heritage department also did not approve the demolition of the theater, but then changed its mind.
This public organization, which has been protecting the historical heritage of the city since 2011, has submitted official objections to the relevant authorities. They demand transparency, legality and respect for the historical values represented by Viera y Clavijo.
Mendoza appealed to the mayor of the city, José Manuel Bermúdez, recalling that he once invited former students of the Las Asuncionistas school to discuss the work plans in Viera y Clavijo. Why then was the association, which represents the interests of the city's residents, not invited and nothing explained?
By the way, the first CaixaForum center in the Canary Islands is planned to be opened in the Pérez Minik Theater. It should start operating in 2027, after the completion of the restoration. This was agreed back in May last year. The la Caixa Foundation won the competition to manage this space and its transformation.
The CaixaForum center will offer cultural, artistic, scientific and educational programs. The annual investment in it will be two million euros.