Betancuria Town Hall renovation work resumes after 20 years

A project begun decades ago

Fuerteventura Island Council will begin renovation work on the Betancuria Town Council building between late April and early May. The aim is to “harmonise” the building’s visual impact with its surroundings, according to a press release from the council.

The work will bring to an end a project that began several decades ago but was left unfinished. The Infrastructure Department has already set aside a plot at Llano Santa Catalina to store construction materials.

Fuerteventura Island Council President Lola García said: “The work will allow us to complete this municipal facility and provide Betancuria with modern, functional premises to serve its residents.” She added: “The work is one of the top priorities in the cooperation plan with local councils to develop essential infrastructure in their municipalities.”

Infrastructure Councillor Blas Acosta said: “We attach particular importance to putting right ‘oversights’ by the public administration, such as this outstanding renovation. Settling the institution’s accounts with the past is the only way to build the future we want for Fuerteventura with full management capacity.”

Betancuria Mayor Enrique Cerdeña welcomed the project’s revival and its completion. “After 20 years, we are pleased that the Island Council has taken the initiative and is carrying it out with determination. The Town Hall building is part of Betancuria’s historic centre and, therefore, part of Fuerteventura’s image, as well as being the centre of municipal administration.”

The renovation is due to begin in the coming weeks, and a plot at Llano Santa Catalina has already been set aside for storing materials. The work is expected to take 18 months, with a budget of two million euros.

The renovation includes demolishing part of the upper floor and redistributing the space, with the overriding aim of reducing the building’s volume to minimise its visual impact on the historic centre.