The project to rehabilitate the building of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spa, located on the San Andrés motorway, and transform this iconic property into the future Anaga Health Centre, has been thwarted by the Port Authority.
This state body has submitted a report to the Government of the Canary Islands, the current owner of the property, stating that considering a healthcare use for this space is “incompatible” with the activities conducted in the area, as the site is situated within the service road of the Los Llanos port.
Santa Cruz Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez, who defended a non-legislative proposal in Parliament in December 2023 for the Spa to become the Anaga Health Centre, successfully ensured the rehabilitation project for this currently derelict building was included in the 2024 Autonomous Community Budgets.
The Government committed to allocating an initial budget of €100,000, part of a broader plan for renovating the property and transforming it into a public-use space, with the intention of commencing works. “However, it now seems that this transformation of the Spa into a new healthcare facility cannot proceed,” the Mayor explained to DIARIO DE AVISOS.
Solutions
Bermúdez indicated that “the latest news we have is that it is incompatible to create a health centre in this building due to the proximity of port activities, as the site currently faces the port service road. Therefore, I will request that the Government of the Canary Islands provide an alternative solution for this potential use, as after securing the funding and initiating the project review, we received a report from the Port Authority stating that this is not the suitable location for a healthcare facility.”
The Mayor added, “We have a problem that needs resolution, although it will be up to the Executive to decide what can ultimately be located in the former Spa. What we propose is that it should be essential services for the local residents, and if it cannot be a health centre, then perhaps a social or sports facility.”
In this regard, Bermúdez emphasised that “although everything now depends on the new approach the Government wishes to take regarding the future use of the building, we are available to the Executive and, of course, to the residents to promote it.”
The Spa was constructed in the early 20th century, surrounded by beaches and swimming pools that no longer exist. For decades, it was a meeting point and holiday resort for thousands of residents of Santa Cruz. This building is one of the most notable examples of rationalist architecture from the 1930s, but with the extension of the port of Santa Cruz, this area became distanced from the coast and ultimately closed in 1992.
