The Elorrio City Council has acquired the land and facilities of the company Fytasa, which specialized in nodular casting, for 345,000 euros. The company ceased its 96 years of activity in 2011 and has since remained disused, progressively deteriorating. The purchase, finalized this June, will enable its regeneration and adaptation to the town's needs.
The process required a year of intensive negotiations due to the complex ownership situation, divided between an investment fund and an insolvency administrator, as part of it was still undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. Before finalizing the purchase, the Council conducted various studies to analyze the land's condition, the extent of contamination, the economic viability of the operation, and the municipality's capacity to undertake it.
The local government team has consistently argued since the review of the General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU) began that this space should not retain its industrial character. Its strategic location—situated in the center of the town—and its surface area make it an ideal site for developing housing, facilities, and other services of interest to citizens. Concurrently, they will promote a modification of the urban classification to convert the current land into residential. The objective is to undertake a medium and long-term project to recover a degraded and contaminated area, regenerate a strategic space for the municipality, and facilitate the construction of public housing.
The initial work has already commenced. The City Council has initiated contact with the Environmental Department of the Basque Government and hired a specialized company to begin the soil decontamination process. Furthermore, as explained by the mayor, Julene Lazkano, «the urgent demolition of the office building is planned due to the irregular access occurring and the risks posed by its current condition». Subsequently, the remaining pavilions will be demolished and decontaminated. Likewise, the Councilor for Urban Planning, Maria Herrero, highlighted that, «after years of neglect, this management represents a great opportunity for the future development of Elorrio».
