"It would be a shame if the Atlántida cinemas disappeared, because it is one of the few cultural things we have left in the center of Arrecife, but this is more of an excuse. I don't know what the reason is for issuing a press release, since the dismantling of this group has been taking place for a long time." This is how the Councilor for Commerce and Tourism of Arrecife, Rafael Juan González, responded to the Spínola Group, which this Monday threatened to close these cinemas and move businesses out of Arrecife due to traffic cuts.
Firstly, González wanted to clarify that the entire Avenue was not closed for three days this past weekend due to the Ocean Lava sporting event, but from 6 a.m. on Saturday to 9:30 p.m. "The only section that remained closed for three days was the transition zone with the bicycles, between Lancelot and the Diamar hotel. Access to the city center was completely free," he stated on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero.
Furthermore, he insisted that the "issue of access" to the city center parking lots was taken into account, although he acknowledged that the only one that could not be entered was precisely the Multicines Atlántida. "It was very difficult to find a possibility," he pointed out.
Regarding the press release from the Spínola Group, González acknowledged that "it would be a shame if the cinemas disappeared," but he insisted that this group has already closed "stores" before the cuts on the Avenue. "The closures were already happening. I don't think closing a street once or twice is reason enough, especially when parking is also provided," he indicated.
And it is that from the Ginory parking area to the cinemas it is a "six-minute" walk, from the Islas Canarias parking lot about "15 minutes" and from the Fajardo street parking lot about "7 or 8 minutes". "They will have their reasons for the closure. It would not be good for the city, but it has already happened with the rest of the businesses in this chain that have been closing without anything being touched on the Avenue. I'm afraid it's an excuse," he stated.
The Councilor for Commerce and Tourism of Arrecife has advocated for being able to "calm down and not get upset", although he understands that in this controversy there may be "political connotations due to the arrival of the elections". Although González did not want to refer directly to the Councilor for Transport and Cleaning, Víctor Sanginés, who this Monday criticized the closure of the Avenue, he did say that "some will have remembered the book 'Chronicle of a Death Foretold', by Gabriel García Márquez, and they will see themselves reflected".
González has insisted that he is willing to sit down and collaborate with the business owners "but not to be told that we have to go this way and that's it". Therefore, he considers that this whole situation is "a tantrum, looking for trouble and a matter of politicizing due to nervousness".
The Councilor for Commerce and Tourism has also responded to the criticisms from the PP for the closure of the Avenue. "When the river is turbulent, everyone jumps on the bandwagon. They are also quite nervous, especially those who are in the City Council, because I think few will have a place. If something else comes up, they will join again, in order to stir up trouble to raise the level of tension," he denounced.
González continues to defend that the city should start focusing on pedestrians and not so much on vehicles. "I still think that Arrecife has a very important future and that it will resurface soon," he insisted.
