The Tenerife College of Architects has filed an appeal against the tender for the renovation of the emblematic Chimisay cinema, put out for tender by the Puerto de la Cruz City Council in late June. The professional body argues that, as has happened in other tenders, the legal obligation to divide the project into multiple lots, allowing for the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has not been met. The College has previously won court cases on similar grounds, including one denounced by the Malaga College of Architects for the same reason.
Despite the appeal, which requested the immediate suspension of the procedure, the municipal government of Puerto de la Cruz (comprising PP, ACP, and CC) is confident that the sole company that submitted a bid before the extended deadline of July 30 will be able to commence work in the coming months. The aim is to restore one of the city's most significant historical and sentimental assets as soon as possible.
Sources from the government team indicate that the city council has acted with rigor and respect for the law. They assert that the appeal does not automatically suspend the procedure and that the council's response to the request for precautionary measures, submitted within the deadline, followed by a month-long wait without the Administrative Tribunal ordering a suspension, allows the procedure to continue with legal guarantees.
These sources further emphasize that the tribunal, after receiving the city council's response, had five days to rule on the precautionary measures. The passage of over a month without a decision is interpreted as administrative silence with its corresponding effects.
The company Capross, based in Gran Canaria and specializing in services such as cleaning, is the only bidder for the Chimisay renovation project. Although cleaning is their primary focus, they have undertaken similar renovations elsewhere in Spain. However, the local government's optimism about starting work in the coming months could be challenged by a potential adverse court ruling, despite their reliance on administrative silence. Furthermore, the preliminary studies and final project are yet to be submitted, although a "technical document" and a "construction process and logistics plan for a consolidated urban environment" have been provided.
Last week, after confirming Capross's bid, the mayor and the Councilor for Heritage stated on social media that the reopening of the Chimisay cinema as a multifunctional space was closer. They highlighted that the tender was not ultimately declared void and that residents could soon regain this emblematic municipal resource.
Pending the judicial resolution and verification of timelines, this tender breaks a streak of recent void tenders by the local government, including those for the social center El Peñón, the children's school Jacaranda, and La Vera square.
