Arrecife’s council has converted 39 commercial premises into residential apartments in the last year, as the capital adapts to new realities.
The transformation of commercial premises into residential living spaces is part of a comprehensive strategy made easier by recent Canarian laws on urgent housing measures. This law streamlines the procedures to convert vacant premises into homes, as long as they meet minimum habitability standards.
Planning councillor for Arrecife, Maciot Cabrera, said “We have to adapt the city to the current times.”
There is no doubt that those times have changed. Commercial activity in Arrecife has been in decline for several years, as shoppers are drawn to out-of-town commercial zones such as Playa Honda and Argana Alta, or shopping centres such as the Open Mall.
Once the only place on the island where all sorts of goods could be purchased, Arrecife’s centre lacks parking opportunities and is poorly served by public transport, putting “big shops” out of the question for many locals.
As a result, many shop spaces in the centre stand empty and, although there has been a noticeable increase in tourism-related businesses such as bars, cafes and souvenir shops, it is also clear that many streets in the capital are lined with long- vacant premises.
Meanwhile, the housing crisis continues, with Arrecife, the most-heavily-populated part of the island, suffering just as much as anywhere else.
As a result, many commercial premises are being converted to living quarters, and the 39 that have been officially converted are probably just the tip of an iceberg.
Tackling the housing crisis is also causing its own problems – converting a shop to living premises usually requires some renovation work, but this is also proving difficult as construction workers are finding it more and more difficult to find affordable housing.
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