Feijóo says Madrid heritage agency must explain €6.7M penthouse purchase

Feijóo addresses Madrid penthouse purchase controversy

Popular Party president Alberto Núñez Feijóo stated that the heritage department of the Community of Madrid must explain its purchase of a penthouse in the Chamberí district that cannot legally be used for office space. Feijóo addressed the matter during an interview conducted at the regional headquarters of the PPdeG in Santiago de Compostela. The transaction in question involved the acquisition of the residential penthouse by the regional administration through the public enterprise Planifica Madrid. When questioned about whether the transaction lacked transparency, Feijóo stated that the regional government led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso has provided all explanations it considers appropriate to clarify the sequence of events. Feijóo maintained that the core administrative decision to purchase a residential property for government offices remains a matter for the regional heritage body to answer directly.

It is evident that Heritage of the Community of Madrid will have to explain why it bought premises that cannot be used for an office with the intention of placing an office there. That is all.

April briefing on Real Casa de Correos repairs

Feijóo disclosed that regional officials first informed him about the property search during an informal meeting held at the Puerta del Sol government headquarters in April. During that meeting, regional officials explained that the Real Casa de Correos required remodeling work to fix infrastructure defects within the building. The reported problems included deterioration of the plumbing systems, difficulties with the air conditioning units, and broader structural conservation issues throughout the seat of the regional presidency. Madrid officials told Feijóo at the time that the regional administration had started searching for external real estate to serve as an interim location during the construction period.

Scope of planned presidential relocation

The proposed relocation from the Real Casa de Correos was designed as a temporary transfer while construction crews executed building renovations. The interim facility was intended to house the private office of regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso along with six, seven, or eight staff positions assigned to her secretariat and cabinet operations team. Feijóo confirmed that national party leadership maintained direct communication with Ayuso's cabinet over recent weeks as the Chamberí acquisition drew public attention. He noted that the explanations provided by the regional cabinet in recent weeks match the information shared with him during the initial April briefing regarding the need to relocate staff during building repairs.

Property listing and Sierra Oeste wildfire recovery

Following the determination that the Chamberí penthouse could not be converted into administrative offices, the regional administration placed the property up for sale with a starting price of 6.7 million euros. Regional authorities earmarked the revenue generated from the sale to fund wildfire recovery efforts across the Community of Madrid. Specifically, the capital raised from the real estate sale will help finance the reconstruction of the Sierra Oeste district, where a wildfire burned approximately 30,000 hectares of land. Feijóo explained that the sale was organized to address the financial demands created by the wildfires and support regional rebuilding initiatives.