From Cinema to Neighborhood Center: Pere Garau's Major Urban Redevelopment

From Cinema to Neighborhood Center: Pere Garau's Major Urban Redevelopment

A few days ago I was still passing the façade of the old Metropolitan; the scent of cotton candy and the coffee stand at the market lingered in the streets. The building where Blockbusters used to run now appears to be on the verge of a bigger transformation: the city plans a comprehensive neighborhood center there with library, daycare center, community center, parking garage and a new police station.

What exactly is at stake

The city administration has launched an architectural competition. Submissions can be made until December 15, that is the deadline. In total costs are estimated at around 17.7 million euros. If everything goes according to plan, tenders for the construction work should take place in 2026.

The planned police station is designed for about 30 officers. For a quarter like Pere Garau that's no small detail: more presence can mean safety and quick response, but it also raises questions about location, traffic and interference with daily life.

How the neighborhood is reacting

On site I hear mixed voices. Some neighbors are excited about new offerings — a library and spaces for civic life are indeed missing here. Others fear that too much traffic and a parking garage will swallow the tranquil aspects of the area. At a meeting in the small community center, residents said: We do not want a sterile junction, but things the neighborhood really needs.

A recurring wish is a 24-hour emergency ambulance. Several residents have urged the city; currently that is not in the official program, but the demand shows that expectations go far beyond library and daycare.

Aha moments in urban development

The transformation of a former cinema site into a multifunctional building is not new, but always exciting: It is a piece of urban repair, where cultural heritage, social infrastructure and safety have to be thought together. The coming months will show how much space the planners give to the Greens, pedestrians and the needs of older residents.

Practical: If you want to view designs or file an objection, you should keep an eye on announcements from the city of Palma or contact the Pere Garau district office directly. Public exhibitions of the concepts are often part of such procedures — and there, the project will show whether it truly benefits the neighborhood.

My impression

I like the idea that a former cinema screen becomes a place for children's laughter, books and neighborhood gatherings. But there need to be clear answers to questions of traffic, noise and health care; otherwise, in the end there will be a lot of concrete and too little benefit for the people who live here.

First architectural designs are exciting — by mid-December at the latest we will know how creative the proposals are. Until then, Pere Garau remains a quarter that rightly looks up: from nostalgic memory of the cinema and with realistic expectations for the future.