From the Metropolitan to the Neighborhood Center: Palma's Plans for Pere Garau Under Scrutiny

A cinema becomes a hope for everyday life — but at what cost?

The dark foyer, which for a long time stood like an empty tooth in the row of buildings beside the Pere Garau market hall, is to be given a new purpose. The city is buying the former Metropolitan and plans a multiservice community center with around 7,000 square meters of usable space. The main figures sound attractive: health center, childcare, library, rooms for seniors and a police station. Budget: approximately €17 million. Construction start: planned for 2026.

Key question: How to combine a culture of remembrance with everyday usefulness?

This is the central question that is still underemphasized in the rather procedural resolutions of the city. For many residents the Metropolitan is part of their memories of evening programs, film posters and sporadic popcorn. At the same time they face practical problems: scattered services, high annual rental costs for municipal services and long distances. Can a conversion achieve both — respect for the past and an efficient, accessible center for everyday life? Similar tensions appear in discussions about the new exhibition center.

What has been little discussed so far

Public debate has focused mainly on area and cost figures. Less attention has been paid to questions such as operating costs after completion, energy efficiency, long-term maintenance of the building or the specific operating models: Will the city itself be the operator, will there be partnerships with NGOs or social providers? And how will a police station and an underground car park affect the neighborhood's atmosphere, which so far lives from the market cries and the bustle of voices — will it no longer be dominated by police activity?

The traffic consequences have also been hardly analyzed: more services mean more visitors — this can burden the narrow side streets. In the late afternoon, when market traders pack up their stalls and cars honk, you quickly notice how cramped it already is here.

Concrete opportunities — and how to seize them

An integrated multi-trade center can bring a lot: shorter distances for older people, networked health and social services, spaces for neighborhood initiatives. To secure these opportunities, I propose concrete steps:

1. Participatory planning process: Citizen workshops before binding design decisions. This ensures acceptance and reveals local usage wishes — from a flexible multipurpose room to a community garden on the roof.

2. Disclose operator and financing model: A mix of municipal management, rental shares for social organizations and clear maintenance budgets reduces surprises regarding follow-up costs.

3. Preservation instead of total renovation: The Metropolitan's facade is an identity-forming element. Those who cleverly integrate parts of it gain sympathy — and preserve cultural history.

4. Sustainability and reduction of operating costs: Solar panels, rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient building systems and flexible room layouts reduce long-term expenses.

Risks and outstanding issues

€17 million is a statement. Whether the sum is sufficient, whether additional costs arise from technical upgrades, soil remediation or unexpected accessibility requirements remains open. Also unclear: Will the police station be perceived as a visible sign of internal security — or as a disruptor of neighborhood life and civic use?

Where this should head

If Palma is serious about the conversion, it needs more than the ideas competition for the Gesa area: a clear participation schedule, transparent cost-control mechanisms and a usage strategy that promotes local initiatives. A phased approach — first bringing section A into use, then B — could help generate early benefits and avoid mistakes.

I was at the square last week, heard market vendors, their laughter and the clatter of crates. A seller said: "Finally, something for us." That's a good signal. But approval alone is not enough. If Palma now plans with prudence, the former cinema hall can become a place that honors memory and creates real added value for Pere Garau. If not, it will remain another municipal project with a pretty announcement and hard truths behind the scenes.