Palma invests almost €75,000 in three sports centers — is that enough?

Palma invests almost €75,000 in three sports centers — is that enough?

New water tank, modernized hot-water technology — and a pool that remains closed

Palma's sports authority IME has commissioned repairs and replacement parts in three municipal sports facilities for around €74,700, as discussed in Palma renews sports facilities: small repairs, big impact - and open questions. Sounds concrete: a 4,000‑liter water tank was installed at the David Muntaner sports centre, and the old hot-water systems were replaced at Es Vivero and Toni Pizá. At the same time, the pool at the Germans Escalas sports centre remains closed — there the basin and ceiling are so dilapidated that extensive renovations are required.

Key question: Does this amount cover the real needs of Palma's sports facilities — or is the city only patching up symptoms?

The concrete calculation is comparatively simple: a large water tank and new instantaneous water heaters are short-term effective measures. They improve hygiene, operational safety and likely reduce outages in winter. However, investments in individual components do not automatically solve structural problems. Building age, waterproofing, ventilation and the fabric of the pool at Germans Escalas are significant issues that can become far more expensive than replacement devices, and other municipalities have taken broader approaches, for example Cala Millor invests over €600,000 in sports facilities — opportunities, risks and how it could work.

What is often missing in public discussion is a view on priorities and timelines. The sum of just under €75,000 looks solid at first glance. On closer inspection, the question arises whether there is a staged renovation plan behind the investment. Are broken and urgent items systematically recorded? Is there a maintenance schedule so the same problems do not reappear in two years? Or are these one-off measures that keep daily operations going for a few months?

An everyday scene from Palma: late in the afternoon a group of older users stands in front of the entrance to the Germans Escalas sports centre, towels over their shoulders, leafing through the notices posted on the board. Some sheets list replacement times in other halls, other visitors stand around puzzled and make phone calls — for those without a car, training and swimming classes quickly become hard to reach. On the streets around the centres you can hear dryers, bicycles ringing, and a bus stopping with squealing brakes: infrastructure is not just cement and pipes, it also determines whether people can continue with their sport.

Concrete solution approaches Palma could now pursue:

1) Transparent priority list: Publish which defects will be remedied in which timeframe, with rough cost estimates. Citizens and user groups benefit from predictability — and the town hall can be held accountable for its commitments.

2) Short-term replacement offers: If a pool is out of service for a long time, partnerships with private pools or schools should be considered so that swimming lessons and club training do not pause for months; examples of how large investments affect communities can be seen in Cala Millor modernizes sports facilities — opportunity or burden for the community?.

3) Long-term maintenance fund: Instead of reacting repair by repair, a reserve fund for regular upkeep makes sense. Small annual contributions save expensive emergencies.

4) Technical inventory: An independent inspection of the building fabric (waterproofing, structural support, ventilation) on site provides clarity on whether further, larger investments are needed. This protects against surprises such as collapsing ceilings or costly complete rebuilds.

At present it remains unclear whether the €74,700 is part of a larger programme or intended to address individual items. For users, one thing matters above all: predictability. Those who use the pool regularly want to know whether their course will continue or not — and whether they can find alternative times within reachable distance. The administration could act faster and more visibly here: short timelines, lists of replacement offers and a clear signal on how the Germans Escalas centre will be handled.

Bottom line: the investment is a necessary step, but not a major move. A water tank and new hot-water technology bring immediate benefits. Whether Palma thereby sustainably strengthens the public sports infrastructure depends on further decisions — above all on transparency, a holistic maintenance plan and solutions for the users who now face a closed pool and posted notices.