Alex Trelinski
THE owners of a Valencia apartment block have received a license to redevelop it after the devastating fire that killed 10 people in February 2024.
It means reconstruction of the Campanar building will begin in July with residents expected to return to their homes in late 2026 or early 2027.
Valencia mayor, Maria Jose Catala, personally handed over the municipal licence on Thursday to the Campanar building home owners association(APRIOCAM).
READ MORE:
APRIOCAM president, Enrique Salvador, said reconstruction will last for 17 months.
“Today is a positive day,” he commented.
“We want to thank efforts of all the technicians involved and the diligence demonstrated by the Valencia City Council, which allowed the license processing to be sorted in less than six months,” Salvador added.
“We will be able to start the work in July.”
The project has been budgeted at €30 million following the worst fire in the history of Valencia City.
Maria Jose Catala said that previous council administrations took up to three years to process applications ‘but we have done it in record time’.
“The building will rise from the ashes like a phoenix and will have better safety and emergency exits which we have paid a lot of attention to,” the mayor said.
“The scar over the people who died will never disappear, but the fact the building will resurface is a point for hope.”
APROICAM is currently sifting through their options for which construction company will be employed.
As to the facade, Enrique Salvador said that the choice is between ceramic panels and exposed material.
He stated that the decision will depend on the budget of the chosen constructor.
“The balance between the aesthetics of the building, the budget and the guarantee of fire safety is essential to ensure that we don’t get a repeat of what happened last year.”
