The municipality of Necochea confirmed it will appeal a court order that suspended the planned auction of the Casino Complex, scheduled for February 11.
The city government stated it respects but disagrees with the judicial decision issued by the local Administrative Litigation Court.
The court ruling suspends the application and effects of Ordinance 12.009/25, including the auction process, until a final judgment is reached. Necochea officials were formally notified of the measure on Monday.
The municipality argues that current regulations designate the Municipal Executive Department as the authority responsible for matters involving public assets, rather than the Preservation Commission referenced in the court decision.
Officials maintain that executive intervention in the casino sale is consistent with Ordinance 4238/00, as amended by Ordinance 7106/10, which assigns enforcement and administrative decisions regarding the disposal or reclassification of heritage-listed municipal property to the Executive through its competent departments.
Regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment cited in the ruling, municipal authorities contend the ordinance does not provide for construction work or building modifications. The measure only involves selling the property in its current state, which represents a transfer of ownership without physical intervention on the site.
The city maintains that no prior environmental impact assessment or public participation process was required at this stage. Such procedures would only apply later if new uses or urban indicators requiring provincial approval from Buenos Aires were proposed.
Arturo Rojas, Mayor of Necochea, said: "We respect the decision of the Justice system, although we do not agree with it. We will respond through the appropriate legal channels, with the technical strength of our administrative actions."
As the Casino Complex represents a significant public asset in Necochea, a coastal city in Buenos Aires Province, the dispute centers on procedural requirements for selling municipal property designated as part of the city's heritage.
The case highlights tensions between municipal autonomy in managing public assets and environmental and heritage protection mechanisms. The outcome will determine whether the local government can proceed with privatizing the casino facility without additional environmental review or preservation oversight.
Necochea’s Casino Complex was inaugurated on February 9, 1973, and turned 53 years old in 2026, remaining one of the city’s most iconic public landmarks
