Q COSTARICA — In just a few weeks, we’ll find out whether the state power and telecom utility, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), will tear down the historic building that has long been a landmark in La Sabana’s landscape.
ICE president, Marco Acuña, told Telenoticias that the building doesn’t have the structural strength needed to keep staff safe. Because of this, ICE plans to assess the possibility of demolishing the building in the coming weeks.
The building, officially the Jorge Manuel Dengo Obregón Building, is an iconic architectural landmark in San José.
Currently, the 54-year-old building that has served as ICE’s headquarters for decades is completely vacant. All core headquarters operations have permanently moved to the newer Torre Grupo ICE located in Sabana Sur.
According to Acuña, the fate of the building could be to maintain it as is, remodel it, or even demolish it, and a new building could be erected on the site. In either case, the ICE president acknowledges it would involve a multimillion-dollar investment.
If demolished, the high-value property in Sabana Norte could be converted into a new commercial zone or transformed into a complementary facility for the neighboring Estadio Nacional (National Stadium).
“That location could be interesting for other uses, which we are also considering. It could even be an area to complement the National Stadium, a commercial area, etc.,” Acuña told Telenoticias.
Construction began in November 1969, and the building officially opened on January 19, 1973.
Designed by architect Rafael Sotela, the 15-story (58-meter) concrete structure was briefly the tallest building in Costa Rica upon its completion.
Originally known simply as the Edificio Central del ICE, it was renamed in 2012 to honor Jorge Manuel Dengo Obregón, the visionary engineer who founded the State institution.