Despite the fact that the Arrecife Youth Center reopened its doors only six years ago after a remodeling of the facilities, they present a risk of partial collapse, as confirmed by the mayor of the capital, Ástrid Pérez, on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, who announced that the City Council will carry out a new intervention.
It should be remembered that the Arrecife Youth Center had to be closed in 2005 due to the risk of collapse of part of its structure and that it was not put back into service for the public until 10 years later, after investing more than 200,000 euros in the rehabilitation of the building and the adaptation of its exteriors.
However, as revealed now by the first mayor of the capital, that reform "was done badly." She stated that she learned this after receiving a technical report "shortly" after being appointed mayor of the city, just over two years ago, in which the possibility of "demolishing the Youth Center in its entirety" was raised. However, this issue had not been made public until now, when the City Council already has a project to intervene.
"Instead of going out to criticize, what we have done these two years is to run, look for more technical reports, see how we could save the situation, look for what other architects and engineers were saying in case there was disparity, commission the project and tender," Pérez said, highlighting the work of the Councilor for Youth, Elisabeth Merino. "She has been working hard all day these two years," she said.
According to the mayor, the Youth Center facilities have not been closed during this period because "there is no absolute risk of collapse either." However, "partial uses" have been made because there is "a risk of partial collapse, mainly of the part that has a small theater."
Now, as she detailed, the Arrecife City Council will invest more than 100,000 euros of its own funds to secure the pillars of the building.
The first mayor of the capital's City Council also wanted to highlight that this is not the only building that the new government group found in poor condition upon their arrival at the Consistory. "Another report also said that the Titerroy Pavilion had to be demolished as well," she said, highlighting the works that have already been carried out in the facilities and that have made it now "a marvel." "Everything was in ruins, but fortunately we are gradually fixing everything," she concluded.
