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The new Yacht Club was inaugurated last week after works, which began at the beginning of 2009, were finally completed. The most complex part of the project was to pile the foundations on the seabed before creating a spacious building which boasts two magnificent terraces overhanging the water. The opening was attended by the President of the Consell, Vicent Serra, and many other dignitaries from around the Island. José Tur, the President of the Club and one of its founders, said that his members were interested in improving the image of the town and commented proudly that the installations could be compared favourably with the best in the Mediterranean. There is now a restaurant, Es NÃ utic, a cafeteria, a lounge, offices and a conference room; there are 578 moorings, six fuel pumps, a wifi area, shower and toilet facilities all of which are supervised all day and night. The Club first opened in 1973 with the original idea to have just a few spaces to moor and room to practice water sports, but from humble beginnings it has now grown.
However, near this attractive new construction, a walk near the harbour and a drink and a bite to eat will, for the time being at least, prove a little more difficult, as the Town Hall has ordered all the businesses situated directly opposite the Yacht Club to close, as it maintains that there is an entire building in danger of collapsing. It may be remembered that one of the second floor balconies fell through the kitchen of one of the establishments last year; fortunately the restaurant concerned, The Island Café, was not open to the public at the time. The other four businesses involved, Stephan, Pussycat, Bel Sito and Rita's Cantina, were all ordered to close as from the beginning of last week, as recent inspections carried out by experts reported that the building had deteriorated considerably over the past few months.
The Town Planning Officer, José Torres, said that if the bars and restaurants involved could come up with a viable proposition to shore up the building, which met with the approval of Town Hall technicians, then it would be possible for them to continue trading this summer, but it would be the proprietor who would have to foot the bill; all five are rented properties. Whatever happens in the next few months, in October the whole building is to be demolished and planning permission will be given for construction to begin immediately, in order to be completed by the beginning of the next summer season.
The proprietors of these businesses have expressed their discontent that the Town Hall has waited until now to make the decision, when all have already contracted staff to work for the season, but Torres replied that the lamentable state of the structure was known by everyone and that they should not be surprised that the authorities need to take precautions to avoid an accident in this very busy area of the seafront. The other business close by, S'Avaradero, is not affected by this edict, but the owners will have to present a plan to ensure the security of their customers while the reconstruction work is being carried out. The rooms which were above these establishments were evacuated some time ago, as they had been taken over by squatters and were in a very dilapidated condition.
The proprietor of Rita's Cantina, MarÃa Knihj, reported later in the week that she and her neighbours were preparing a dossier to ensure that the building would be safe for the summer, but added, “If the structure is in such a bad state, then surely the authorities should have closed the road which runs immediately behind it, (the el Faro), because it is always full of peopleâ€. The nine people employed in her bar are now enjoying a forced holiday, probably until this Saturday, the 1st, but beforehand they generously distributed all the perishable food which could not be used to needy people in the town.
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