Safety Hazard Claimed : Baja Says Tijuana Bullring Must Be Remodeled or Closed

A Mexican official said Friday that Baja California authorities have recommended closing the downtown Tijuana bullring because it poses a safety hazard and is not aesthetically pleasing.

Ignacio Aguirre, spokesman for the state Secretariat of Public Works, said that previous reports about the state ordering the landmark bullring closed immediately were incorrect. But he said that if an agreement cannot be reached with the bullring’s owners and Tijuana city officials about “certain structural repairs and a general remodeling of the plaza,” state officials will order the arena shut down.

He said that the state has not set a deadline for reaching such an agreement.

Tijuana city officials could not be reached for comment Friday, and a bullring employee said that manager Manuel Lopez Retana was in Mexicali trying to work out a compromise with state officials. The bullfight season began at the downtown arena on May 5 and is scheduled to continue until August 4.

Bullring officials are worried about the financial losses that could result if the ring is ordered closed. The next bullfight is scheduled for May 26 and features Antonio Lomelin, one of Mexico’s best-known bullfighters.

Aguirre said that the bullring’s foundation is fine, but state officials worry that the old wooden benches present a “tremendous fire hazard.” He said that state officials want the present benches replaced with seats containing non-combustible materials. State safety inspectors also want the arena rewired, restrooms upgraded and more exits added to the 12,000-seat structure. Officials also want the arena--a popular tourist attraction located a mile from the border--repainted, said Aguirre.

One newspaper report said that state officials decided to act after last weekend’s tragedy in Bradford, England, where 53 people died when a fire erupted in the wooden grandstand of a soccer stadium.

On Friday, Aguirre said there was a possibility that the 37-year-old bullring could remain open if Lopez comes up with an acceptable plan that would allow for repairs to be made between bullfights.

Tijuana’s other bullring, the seaside Plaza Monumental, is structurally sound, said Aguirre. The bullfight season at the seaside ring usually begins when the season at the downtown ring ends.