The socialist faction within the Cabildo of Tenerife is set to raise an inquiry during the upcoming plenary session regarding the “dreadful” condition of the Auditorium and the extended deadlines, approved by the current island administration (CC-PP), for architect Santiago Calatrava, who was the mastermind behind the project.
PSOE has taken heed of the details disclosed by DIARIO DE AVISOS concerning the state of this vital infrastructure, emphasising the lack of progress since the change in government. They note that during Pedro Martín’s presidency, after multiple discussions due to disagreements among parties, the Governing Council decided in May 2022 to task the architect with devising a plan to address all hidden defects estimated by experts at approximately €24 million, in addition to expenses for the renovations and revenue loss during the Auditorium’s closure for a minimum of one year.
Initially, Calatrava was given nineteen months from the agreement notification in June 2022 to conduct necessary assessments and draft the project, with a deadline set for January 2024. However, a new timeline was established following the change in government.
PSOE asserts that during the Government Council meeting in November 2023, led by Rosa Dávila, an extra year was granted beyond the notification period, prolonging the process and escalating repair costs due to price hikes.
The Socialists express their “astonishment” at Dávila’s statement that legal action is being pursued, despite various technical and political decisions made since 2018. They highlight that upon Martín assuming the presidency, he encountered a legal dispute regarding the Auditorium in addition to its deteriorating technical condition.
Various technical interventions were made, including limiting activities near the structure and implementing monitoring systems for the external mosaic, known as trencadís. Following a court order in November 2019, the parties were required to agree on the necessary repairs. In the absence of consensus, the Governing Council, in 2022, executed a prior Cabildo agreement from 2018 mandating Calatrava to fund the repairs, which he contested but the court ruled in favour of the institution in 2022.
