„For rats, this place is heaven on earth,“ says Johan van Malsen. The 64-year-old is chairman of the largest residents‘ association in the neighbourhood, representing no fewer than 210 households. And van Malsen has lost faith in the town. Puerto de la Cruz is already under fire because of Jardin Beach, which is currently unusable. And right on the other side, there is another eyesore.
The Iders building has stood empty for 33 years. Van Malsen takes care to speak in the subjunctive. He does not want to leave himself open to legal challenge. Yet over the decades he has studied the case in detail and knows what happened back then. Nevertheless, he chooses his words carefully.
The neighbour is part of a residents‘ association and wants to finally draw attention to the issue. „The council is angry with us,“ he says. He adds: „But we’re even angrier with the council. Because nothing is ever done.“ That’s why he’s now explaining what, in his view, is going wrong. And much of it smacks of corruption and political failure. And the pictures illustrate the problem:
The long-standing eyesore in Puerto de la Cruz
Thirty-three years ago, an expert report was circulated. It referred to aluminosis – a chronic lung condition caused by aluminium dust. „It is now believed that the report was forged,“ says van Malsen. He suspects financial gain and property speculation. And it is thought that accomplices were found within the town itself.
As a result, the building was cleared out and the windows removed within two weeks on the basis of a false expert report. In this way, a fait accompli was created. And suddenly, a small number of people acquired a large number of shares in the building. To van Malsen, this smacks of speculation, and perhaps even corruption. „Unfortunately, I cannot prove it; otherwise I would already be in court.“
The Iders building in Puerto de la Cruz has stood empty for 33 years
From today’s perspective, it is no longer possible to piece together exactly what happened in Tenerife back then. Yet the consequences of those past decisions are still evident today. After all, anyone who has known Puerto de la Cruz for long enough no longer even notices the Iders building. The ruin in the heart of the town has been part of the landscape for more than three decades. But at some point, the façade began to crumble. Pieces of rubble fell onto the street. And so the high-rise building attracted more attention once again.
In the meantime, squatters had moved in. When the city declared the high-rise a derelict building about two years ago, they were evicted. A metal fence was erected. The building has been unoccupied ever since. Or so it seems.
On Tenerife, rats have a high-rise of their own
For whilst the people were evicted from the building, their belongings were left behind. Mattresses, scrap metal and container-loads of rubbish lie strewn about. What’s more, right in front of the site is a collection point for waste and recyclable materials from the neighbouring houses and shops. There’s plenty for pests to feast on there:
No one has set foot on the derelict plot, which covers an area of just under 8,900 square metres, for two years. The rubbish in front of the building provides plenty of food for pests. And with their spoils, they can retreat to their own high-rise. Rats, cockroaches and other uninvited guests live undisturbed amongst the rubble and the remains left behind by the squatters.
„After 6 pm, hardly any of us local residents dare to go near the recycling point,“ says van Malsen. In the past, the rats used to be active only at night. „Nowadays, you see them during the day as well. And if you watch the site and the bins in the dark, you’ll see plenty of them.“
Puerto de la Cruz’s eyesore: „Tourists take photos“
Van Malsen knows: „Tourists stop and take photos of the ruins. It’s disgusting. And right in the middle of town. As an outsider, you can’t help but think: ‚What on earth is going on here?‘ It’s an eyesore!“
In fact, Avenida Familia de Betancourt y Molina is situated in an area of major importance to tourism – running parallel to the promenade and as a side street leading to Playa Martiánez, which has remained the only sandy beach since the main beach was closed off.
Puerto Cruz under fire: „The council is doing nothing“
This eyesore is likely to remain in Puerto de la Cruz for some time yet. Because „the council isn’t doing anything“, says neighbour van Malsen. „There are no solutions – and there haven’t been for 33 years.“ Although there are still many owners, „there’s no going back for the building“. That is why there is now growing resistance from the neighbourhood.
A statement from the town hall reads: „Things are not as we would like them to be.“ Everything is described as a procedural, „huge administrative mess“. Yet they are not standing still. For Van Malsen, this is not enough: „Everything has been in place for two years. The town could take action. But it isn’t doing so.“
The former mayor really did apply pressure. But the current one is hesitating. „We’ve lost confidence,“ says the representative. The socialist government had promised to cover the costs. „And the plot is so valuable that they would certainly have made three or four million from it,“ says van Malsen. He does not understand why the current city administration is not sticking to the plan.
If he could make a wish, it would be that, at the very least, the rubbish would finally be cleared from the site and that the same poison would not continue to be spread, to which the rodents are gradually developing resistance. But the main demand remains, and it is clear: „The Iders building must finally be demolished.“
No comments on this article yet.