8 of 26: Shopping centres classified as "obsolete"
1 of 26: Where the price per m² hasn't fallen in 30 years
The question is not whether there is a problem. The question is: why do some centres survive while others sink? The locations are similar. Tourism reaches all of them equally. The construction dates are comparable. The difference lies in how they are managed.
Four centres, four fates
| Centre | Founded | Status 2026 | Governance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yumbo | ~1982 | Thriving | Active, continuous investment |
| Cita | 1972 | “Obsolete” | 30 years same president, €1.9M debt |
| La Sandía | ~1980s | Declining | Empty units, basement sales at giveaway prices |
| Kasbah | ~1968 | “Obsolete” | €20M renovation planned |
| Metro | 1978 | Closed / Ruined | Demolition order |
| Plaza | ~1970s | Closed / Sealed | Sealed after incidents |
The table speaks for itself. Metro and Plaza are the final destination of poor management: closed, in ruins, shelter for the homeless. Cita is on the list of those heading the same way.
Yumbo: the only one where the price per m² hasn't fallen in 30 years
According to Maspalomas24h, Yumbo is "the jewel in the crown of commerce in Playa del Inglés and the only one where the price per square metre hasn't fallen in 30 years". It is also the only shopping centre in the Canary Islands in a tourist zone that has never requested public funds for renovation.
What does Yumbo do differently?
Yumbo vs. Cita: two management models
Yumbo: security investment: Yes, since 2022
Cita: security investment: No data
Yumbo: sustainability plan: Solar panels, delivery
Cita: sustainability plan: No data
Yumbo: debt collection: Active management
Cita: debt collection: €3,568 spent on €1.9M debt
While Yumbo invests in security, sustainability and visitor experiences, Cita accumulates €1.9 million in uncollected debt and spends just €3,568 on lawyers to recover it.
La Sandía: the silent decline
La Sandía does not yet appear on official lists of "obsolete" centres, but the signs are clear. Basement units are selling at giveaway prices: two 180 m² warehouses for the price of a used car. Bar transfers are offered urgently. Occupancy falls year after year.
A perfect example of what happens when decline goes unchecked: no sudden crisis, but a slow erosion that eventually empties a shopping centre.
Kasbah: the brave decision
Kasbah, founded in the late 1960s, is the oldest in the Metro-Plaza-Kasbah triangle. Metro is closed with a demolition order. Plaza is sealed. Kasbah survives — barely.
The difference: its owners' community made a decision. A comprehensive renovation project of €18-20 million, with interested external investors. Demolish and rebuild. A radical bet, but at least it is a bet. Its president, Javier Alonso, puts it plainly: "It's a disgrace. This disaster is hurting us enormously."
The difference between a centre that sinks and one that recovers is not location or age. It is that someone makes decisions. That there is accountability. That a plan exists.
Metro and Plaza: the end of the road
If anyone wants to see where inaction leads, just walk to Metro and Plaza. Closed. In ruins. Municipal declaration of ruin. Shelter for the homeless. Prostitution. Drugs.
A local newspaper described it as "a black hole in the heart of the golden mile of the south". And warns: "Of the 18 commercial complexes in the most important tourist urbanisation of the Canary Islands, around a dozen are languishing."
Cita is among them.
What do the failures have in common?
The pattern is always the same:
Failure to collect debts — defaulting owners don't pay their fees, income drops, maintenance deteriorates. At Cita: €1.9 million uncollected. Failure to invest — without income there are no improvements, without improvements no customers, without customers no income. A vicious circle. Lack of transparency — owners don't know where their money goes, lose interest, stop participating. Meeting attendance drops. Concentration of power — decisions made by very few, without oversight or accountability.
Sound familiar?
Key data from the official report
The Report on Rehabilitation and Modernisation of Shopping Centres by the Municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana classifies C.C. Cita among the 8 "obsolete" centres in the municipality, alongside Kasbah, Plaza, Metro, Anexo II, Oasis, Parque Europa and Faro II. Yumbo is not on this list.
Questions for the March 7 meeting
1. Is the Governing Board aware of the official report classifying Cita as "obsolete"? What steps have been taken?
2. Is there a modernisation plan for the centre? Has a study been commissioned?
3. What model of active debt management will be implemented to recover the €1.9 million outstanding?
4. Has the Yumbo model been studied as a reference for successful governance?
5. What is the 5-year plan to prevent Cita from following the path of Metro and Plaza?
Saturday decides whether Cita has a future
The deterioration of a shopping centre does not happen overnight. It is a process of years, fed by inaction, lack of transparency and the absence of brave decisions. Metro took decades to reach ruin. Cita is on the same path.
On Saturday 7 March, the election of who will govern this community takes place. It is the moment to demand a plan, transparency and accountability. Before it is too late.
If you cannot attend, delegate your vote. Article 26 of the statutes — even via WhatsApp.
Yumbo proves it can be done. Why not Cita?