The Municipal Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is set to transform the surroundings of the renowned San Rafael and San Roque cemetery in the capital into a pedestrian-friendly zone by 2025. This cemetery has been designated as a Cultural Heritage Site (BIC), and the project aims to enhance its appeal for both residents and tourists, aligning its environment with the city’s future General Urban Development Plan.
To kickstart this initiative, the municipal Government Board recently gave the green light to the tendering process for two urbanization projects behind the cemetery. These projects, designed by the firm Engineering and Architecture Techne, exceed a total of 1.19 million Euros. The costs are split into two parts, with one project amounting to 624,206 Euros and the other to 567,534 Euros.
Infrastructure Councilor, Javier Rivero, highlighted that the objective of these endeavours is to “implement the two defined actions outlined in the General Plan around the San Rafael and San Roque cemetery, aiming to solidify the transformation of the area. This entails two distinct pedestrian pathways, each with individual costs. However, collectively, they will encircle the cemetery in a pedestrian-friendly manner.”
Land Acquisitions
In preparation for the forthcoming pedestrian walkway beside the cemetery, the Urban Planning Management is in the process of acquiring the necessary lands for the project, including the demolition of vacant properties. As of now, there is no confirmed start date for the construction phase. Nevertheless, the councilor remains optimistic about a possible commencement next year, with an estimated project duration of approximately six months.
The project area, which coincides with the protected zone surrounding the BIC cemetery, is bordered by Hermanos Logman, Fernández Herrero, and José María de Villa streets to the north, Fernández Navarro street to the east, Leoncio Rodríguez Street to the south, and Los Molinos Street to the west.
Within this territory, alongside the cemetery, there is an entrance plaza and several private plots designated for residential and storage purposes. The proposed plan, derived from the detailed assessment of the General Plan, includes the development of two pedestrian walkways along the northwest and southwest boundaries of the San Rafael and San Roque cemetery, both linked to Los Molinos Street.
Architectural Features
One of these pedestrian streets is earmarked for an office space, spanning four floors in alignment with the residential block where it is situated. Furthermore, the project adheres to the current zoning regulations in terms of alignments, heights, uses, and building typologies. An existing dead-end street in the vicinity, José María de Villa Street, will be merged into the nearby open space, potentially serving as an access point to the cemetery.
An essential prerequisite outlined in the revised project, approved by the Governing Board for inclusion in the work dossier, is that it cannot progress until the necessary land ownership and availability have been secured.
