New user-friendly look for Palma's seafront

PALMA
GIVING people plenty of recreation space is top of the agenda in Palma's seafront regeneration project.
Open green areas will provide a 40'000 square metre extension to the Parc de la Mar and include a wide variety of facilities for the public to use as well as an underground carpark with room for 1'000 vehicles.

The blueprint for the scheme was presented yesterday by Palma's mayor Aina Calvo accompanied by Union Mallorquina party's spokesman - Miquel Nadal, and the “Bloc” left-wing coalition representative Eberhard Grosske. The structural modifications and seafront upgrade are to be formally approved under town planning legislation tomorrow. Calvo said that the recreation programme will be “of the very best” and although its details have yet to be finalised, she insisted it was important that steps were taken to “fulfill what had become an electoral commitment.” In July last year, the City Council had suspended all development licenses related to Palma's seafront whilst time was taken to look at projects which would open up the eastern end of the Paseo Maritimo for public - as opposed to private - enjoyment. It was at this point that the Council of Majorca placed a conservation order on the old Gesa power supply administration offices, preventing them from being demolished to make way for luxury flats. Calvo said that the building would remain, not necessarily under the jurisdiction of Gesa, but would be converted for public use. Grosske said the new scheme will “unite the people of Palma with the seafront.”