The Department of Urban Planning has issued the decree, based on an unfavorable technical report concluding that the planned actions do not align with the current protection regime. This rejection affects a project promoted by a commercial company and is supported by a report issued on March 25, 2026.
Municipal technicians argue that the proposed works “are not compatible with the protection regime” of the property, after analyzing the documentation provided during processing. The denial is limited to the presented project and does not prevent other uses that are respectful of the building's protection.
“"The building can be used for purposes compatible with its protection, and we are aware that there are several cultural projects on the table that could fit perfectly."
According to the technical report, the proposal contemplated the “complete demolition of the protected building while maintaining the facades, and subsequent reconstruction for a 4-star hotel.” Urban Planning considers that this intervention does not respect either the interior volumetry or the original layout and number of floor slabs, in addition to proposing changes in the exterior volumetry and facade openings.
The municipal resolution emphasizes that these actions exceed the transitional protection regime provided in the applicable regulations and clash with the conservation criteria established for the property. Specifically, the technicians understand that the project violates the safeguarding, restoration, and maintenance of the protected elements that define the architectural structure of the former cinema.
The denial is also based on the protection recognized by the Special Plan for the Protection and Conservation of the Traditional Center, by the Catalog of Protections in process, and by the binding reports from the General Directorate of Culture and Heritage. In the opinion of the Urban Planning area, the scope of the proposed intervention is incompatible from a heritage perspective.
The decree states that the content of the technical report should be accepted due to its “motivated and exhaustive” nature, and from there, conclude that the planned actions cannot be authorized. The document also adds that there is no alternative project that could be approved, despite the interested company having been previously requested to provide one.
With this decision, the City Council currently closes the path to the hotel project planned for the Ideal, one of the most emblematic buildings in the center of Alicante. The resolution, however, leaves the door open for future uses that are compatible with the building's level of protection and the heritage criteria established for its conservation.
