La Laguna to Build New Indoor Pavilion
La Laguna has announced that it will begin constructing a large indoor pavilion with a capacity for 10,000 spectators within the next two years. This decision comes as a response to ongoing frustrations over the delayed Tenerife Arena project. Although the Mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, insists that this new initiative is not intended to replace the Tenerife Arena, both facilities share similar objectives. However, La Laguna’s project is poised to collaborate closely with CB Canarias, which has long claimed that the Santiago Martín La Hamburguesa pavilion has become insufficient and requires a larger venue.
### Planning and Location
Gutiérrez explained that discussions have already taken place with the claretian club concerning the preliminary design of the new pavilion. This will be situated next to the Las Mantecas tram station, on land belonging to the University of La Laguna (ULL), which will be made available for use. The council will need to carry out a minor modification to repurpose the university-designated land for construction purposes.
### The Tenerife Arena Project
With La Laguna’s plans moving forward, all eyes are now on the Cabildo de Tenerife and its long-stalled indoor pavilion project. This initiative has remained in the study phase for several years, aiming to create a multifunctional venue capable of hosting concerts, cultural shows, and large-scale sports events, with a capacity exceeding that of current facilities. In essence, this mirrors La Laguna’s vision for the Las Mantecas site but with a slightly larger capacity.
The insular corporation has maintained that the Tenerife Arena’s designs will not replace established facilities such as the Santiago Martín pavilion or the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium, both of which are undergoing improvement plans. However, it has not clarified how the construction of a similar facility by La Laguna would impact the Tenerife Arena project.
### Proposed Locations for Tenerife Arena
Multiple potential sites for the Tenerife Arena have been considered, with prominent options including the freed-up land from the former Santa Cruz Refinery and the Los Alisios area, also located in the capital. Carlos Tarife, the city’s First Deputy Mayor, has been advocating for the Cabildo de Tenerife to consider the land that Santa Cruz is ready to offer, situated between the TF-2 and TF-1. According to Tarife, Los Alisios, in the Southwest district, is an ideal location due to its immediate availability, eliminating the need to await the dismantling and redevelopment of the refinery site.
### Compatibility of Projects
In an interview with COPE Canarias on Tuesday, Tarife expressed his support for La Laguna’s initiative but emphasised that Santa Cruz must also have an indoor facility for between 10,000 and 15,000 people, serving both major sporting and cultural events, as well as conferences and other large gatherings. He highlighted the land available in the southwest, noting that the Cabildo is already aware of Santa Cruz’s willingness to offer this site.
Tarife contends that such a project would be implemented “much more swiftly” than waiting for the refinery’s dismantling, allowing for a significant venue for large concerts, carnival events, major fairs, and sporting occasions. He reiterated that La Laguna’s plans should not hinder Santa Cruz’s aspirations for a pavilion, which he believes the city deserves. “We will fight for it,” he concluded.
