Residents of Barrio Atlántico in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have been demanding for three years the reactivation of 900 garage spaces that are currently unusable. The abandonment is due to a lack of maintenance and security issues, such as damaged pillar bases, expired or missing fire extinguishers, and broken emergency doors.

According to Miguel Pérez, president of the Barrio Atlántico Residents' Association, these spaces belong to three residential buildings constructed about 30 years ago. The community's mobilization aims to have the involved administrations, the Government of the Canary Islands and the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council, through the public company Sagulpa, take responsibility for their operation.

The resident leader explains that the Government of the Canary Islands stopped performing regular maintenance on the garages. Subsequently, a municipal inspection determined that the space did not meet the necessary safety conditions, leading to its closure. Since then, residents have faced daily difficulties finding parking on the street, often being forced to travel to other areas like Siete Palmas.

Recently, the Minister of Housing of the Government of the Canary Islands, Pablo Rodríguez, along with the Minister of Sustainable Mobility of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Teodoro Sosa, and the Councilor for Mobility of the City Council, José Eduardo Ramírez, visited the area. A commitment was made to study the transfer of responsibilities, although residents are urging for swift action to address the safety adaptations.

Resident estimates suggest handing over the garages under a concession agreement to Sagulpa for 40 or 50 years. The proposal includes selling some spaces for an estimated price of five to six thousand euros, and renting others for around 25 to 30 euros per month, which they consider a viable solution to the parking problem.

The involved institutions show consensus, but there is no set date for the agreement's execution yet, pending studies on the properties' conditions. The Regional Executive must first vacate the parking areas, which are currently used for other purposes. Sagulpa is preparing a technical project and a market study to adapt the facilities to current safety regulations, as they have been closed for two decades.

The rehabilitation will be carried out gradually, starting with the easiest and most economical garage to renovate. Sagulpa's market study aims to identify potential users and set rates appropriate to the area's economic level.