Emergency Repairs on Alicante City Hall Facade

The Alicante City Hall is set to urgently undertake repairs on the Clock Tower after stones fell onto the street from the facade of the City Hall on October 24th. As an initial precaution, traffic was halted on Jorge Juan Street, the perimeter was fenced off, and protective nets were installed to prevent further incidents.

For the past month, workers have continued with the anchoring of the protective netting, and traffic remains disrupted. The perimeter has been retracted and now stands halfway across the City Hall square. However, time is pressing for the government team, as it has been confirmed that the Giant Nativity Scene will be installed in front of the City Hall once the nets are secured on the facade towers.

The City Hall intends to install the monumental Nativity Scene by the December holiday and reopen Jorge Juan Street to traffic. However, before any work can commence, approval from the Department of Culture is necessary, as the Alicante City Hall is a Cultural Heritage Site (BIC), which must be preserved.

The government team has already received this approval from the Generalitat. This was communicated by the Secretary of Culture, Pilar Tébar, and the Director General of Cultural Heritage, Marta Alonso, to the Councillors of Urban Planning, Rocío Gómez, and Culture, Nayma Beldjilali.

Now, the actions to be carried out as part of the extended emergency measures include the dismantling and storage of the tower's crowning balustrade, as well as the aforementioned installation of necessary preventive protections to avoid falling debris onto public roads. These protections are temporary until a more thorough repair intervention is conducted. All anchors will be executed in joints between stones to minimize breakage.

Both administrations emphasize the "total collaboration in executing the actions and highlight the work of both municipal and regional technicians."

Additionally, the City Hall is finalizing the drafting of the emergency project for the rehabilitation and consolidation of the entire facade, which will subsequently be authorized by the Department of Culture.

Meanwhile, a detailed architectural study of the facade's pathologies is underway, which will establish the intervention priorities. Once drafted, it will be executed on all those classified as urgent.

In parallel, the comprehensive reform project of the City Hall Palace and adjoining building is progressing. The project is being drafted in close collaboration between the City Hall and the Department of Culture within the normal timelines for a project of this magnitude.