The island corporation plans to submit a written request this Monday, April 20, to the courts, seeking to halt the procedure initiated by the Port Authority to remove the building. This action is part of an ongoing dispute between the Canarian administrations and the Port Authority, which is dependent on the state government, over the preservation of this unique building.
“"It has not even allowed our technicians to enter the building to carry out an assessment, even though we have shown a collaborative attitude at all times."
The Port Authority has been criticized for not responding to the Cabildo's request, first made in November last year, to conduct a study on the heritage value of the silo. This building, constructed in the 1960s for grain storage, was part of a policy implemented during the Franco dictatorship through the National Wheat Service.
“"Given that the Port Authority not only does not respond but continues with the procedure to demolish the silo and has even awarded the contract to a company, we are forced to resort to justice to enforce the Spanish historical heritage law."
Despite efforts by the Government of Canarias, the Cabildo de Tenerife, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, and the Official College of Architects to save the property, the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has proceeded with the bidding process for its demolition. The Contracting Board has already proposed Hercal Diggers to carry out the demolition within seven months for an amount of 990,140 euros.
The silo, which ceased to be used more than 30 years ago, belongs to type P, one of twenty silo typologies designed in the country. Of this specific typology for port areas, only two buildings were constructed: one in the Port of Málaga (already demolished) and the one in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Other silos of different typologies have been recovered and transformed into theaters, cultural centers, museums, or offices.
The Government of Canarias requested the Ministry of Culture to adopt urgent precautionary measures, warning of an “imminent and irreversible” risk to the only remaining type P port silo in Spain. The General Directorate of Culture and Cultural Heritage of the regional executive has reminded that, as it is an asset located in state public port domain, the responsibility for its protection falls to the General State Administration.
The Government of Canarias insists on the need for state intervention to prevent the loss of this unique element of the industrial and cultural heritage of the archipelago, highlighting its “singular character in the national context” and its architectural, technological, and landscape relevance on the maritime front of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
