Patrimonial assets of Quito in a situation of abandonment; according to the Municipality, more than 80% are private

According to data from the Metropolitan Heritage Institute (IMP) in Quito there are approximately 7,000 heritage assets, of these, about 5,000 are located in the historic center. Precisely this municipal entity, together with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, are the ones who offer this distinction to certain Historic homes that remain despite the housing expansion of the capital.

Several iconic buildings feed the architectural beauty of the capital of Ecuador, however, other goods have been neglected by their owners, showing an aspect of abandonment, contrasting with the decoration of the city.

For Stephen Alban, spokesperson for the Quito Sustainable Heritage collective 30% of heritage assets are in a state of abandonment. That is, around 2,100 places would be neglected.

One of the proposals made by this group is to provide information on abandoned goods so that can be used by associations or youth groups with cultural, artistic, gastronomic themes, among others and that through the recovery of the place, alternatives are provided in favor of the community.

According to Albán, the sectors The most affected are the Historic Center, and neighborhoods such as La Floresta and La Mariscal.

An example of recovery in a heritage asset is the The Uterus Cultural Center, located on Reina Victoria and Jerónimo Carrión streets, in La Mariscal, north center of the city. They have been working in this place for five years 12 different groups. There are 40 people who work in locksmith workshops, carpentry, photography studio, video, music and plastic arts, They also have an artisan designer shop, a bookstore and a vegetarian restaurant.

In this case they pay a lease to the owner of this patrimonial asset, however, under an agreement it was rescue the house that was not occupied.

“The Municipality itself or various owners of the property do not have the economic resources to carry out a rehabilitation, there you could find these groups of young people or associations that are interested in providing community work and preventing them from being abandoned, “said Albán.

The Old Military Hospital

In the center of the capital, on one of Quito’s emblematic schools, the Mejía National Institute is located building with more than 100 years of history. The inhabitants of the sector know it as the Old Military Hospital. However, this building also functioned as a sanatorium and as a neighborhood of families who did not have their own home.

It is currently occupied by Contemporary Art Center (CAC) of Quito and by the Metropolitan Habitat and Housing Company.

Mireya Pineda, educational mediator of the CAC tells that the building was built in 1903 at the request of President Eloy Alfaro and it worked like a sanatorium, in a land clearing of 15,000 square meters. In 1922 the military fort Artillería Bolívar Nº1 was located until 1932. Later, In 1936, the Military Hospital was installed, which functioned until 1977. Two years later, when the military emptied the building completely, more than 60 families took possession of the place and they lived until 2006 when the reconstruction process began.

The south wing, occupied by the CAC, has been renovated, it has a museum and several rooms for exhibitions and cultural events, although the construction is old, the maintenance work keeps its interior in optimal conditions. However, in the north wing the reality is different.

The corridors and patios look abandoned, As explained by municipal officials, the building belongs to the Ministry of Defense and was handed over to the Municipality on loan. The exterior façade also shows abandonment of the north sector that has this iconic building, which is expected to be fully rehabilitated.

municipal assets

Angelica Aries, executive director of the Metropolitan Heritage Institute (IMP) points out that of the 7,000 heritage assets that Quito has, more than 80% belong to private hands. In addition, it points out that this entity offers recovery plans with subsidy of a part and financing of up to ten years of the remaining value for the arrangements.

The Municipality is responsible for approximately 60 assets who need different types of care according to their condition, divided into medium and high. Some have leaks or moisture problems, others require a infrastructure work that they offer to attend this year.

In the neighborhood Round They will also carry out an intervention in four houses that have been unemployed for several years. “The works will have the guarantee that they will be used once the intervention is over,” the municipal official said.

According to Aria, each year between 15 and 20 patrimonial assets were attended, with the incentive program. However, it ensures that in the last two years (in the administration of Jorge Yunda) only three houses were served.

For this reason, he says that they will initiate an aggressive program of interventions on patrimonial assets that expects to serve 30 houses in this first semester and 30 in the second. Here will be included changes of facades, roofs, renovation of interiors or the complete property.

The director added that the processes for two contracts have already begun, one for $600,000 and another for $400,000 in which will attend to the municipal patrimonial assets, among the buildings will be included the old Military Hospital. He also maintains that they do not rule out requesting an additional budget for the work that was not carried out for two years and that currently falls under his responsibility. (I)