Whenever there is talk in Arrecife of buildings with heritage interest or historic centers, the case of La Laguna is usually cited as an example. There is consensus that the university city has become beautiful and its pedestrian streets are boosting commerce under the shelter of its well-maintained architecture. And we want the same for Arrecife.
The approval by the Cabildo of Lanzarote of the initiation of the declaration of Cultural Interest Asset (BIC) of three buildings located in Arrecife has the ambition to start a path of revaluation of the city that is inspired by what has been done in many cities around us. A path to which the Arrecife City Council must join without delay, instead of stirring up unfounded proclamations.
“Businesses abound on Ginés de Castro y Álvarez Street”
Declaring new BICs in Arrecife will boost commerce and improve public space on Calle Real and the surrounding roads. To maintain this statement, we rely on the example of Calle Ginés de Castro y Álvarez, a busy pedestrian street parallel to the Casa Amarilla and that leads to the Plaza de la Iglesia. Businesses abound there, despite being next to another three BICs and their corresponding protection environments: the Church of San Ginés, the old Casa Cabildo and the Casa de los Arroyo.
It is no coincidence that the presence of these three BICs has turned Calle Ginés de Castro y Álvarez into one of the most successful in the city. The physiognomy of the road has improved and commerce has been boosted, and the same should happen in other parts of Arrecife. But, for that to happen, it is necessary to promote a plan to boost local commerce, which is a task that corresponds to the Arrecife City Council and that it has not done.
“The City Council lacks a Municipal Architectural Catalog”
Another pending task of the City Council is to put an end to the lack of a Municipal Architectural Catalog. The processing and approval of municipal catalogs corresponds to the city councils, but Astrid Pérez has been in the Mayor's Office of Arrecife for almost three years and has not been able to carry it out.
If the mayor and the Popular Party had drawn up the Municipal Architectural Catalog, the old Hotel Oriental, the Mercadillo and the old Tamaragua building would already be protected. And like these three properties, others of heritage value would also be protected. But, in view of their actions, it seems that the protection of our history or the liberation of public spaces for people has no place in their city model.
The sad reality is that the city project proposed by Astrid Pérez and the Popular Party consists of not complying with the Cultural Heritage Law, not drafting the Municipal Catalog and granting demolition licenses in buildings of undoubted interest, even with negative reports from the Heritage Service of the Cabildo.
Ariagona González, National Deputy and Councilor for the Environment, Heritage, Industry and Energy of the Cabildo de Lanzarote
