Palma Clears Out: The Old Son Dureta Vanishes After Decades

End of an Era in Palma

This morning, as you drove along Avenida Gabriel Roca, it immediately became apparent: the gray colossus that many of us still knew from childhood days is gone. The old Son Dureta hospital — opened in 1955, closed in 2011 — has been dismantled piece by piece over the past months. Around 11 a.m. there were only rubble and dusty air over the district. An era ends, and it feels strange, almost like a chapter from a photo album you turn the pages of.

What remained: 70,000 tons of debris and a lot of work

The excavators have been working on the site since October last year. On the asphalt along Carrer Son Dureta, trucks stood in line; early in the morning you would normally hear deliveries and the line's buses, today it is containers and tarps. According to authorities and workers on site, around 70,000 tons of construction debris lie on the site — a mountain that cannot be overlooked.

Asbestos discoveries delayed the demolition and complicated the plans. This also explains why the work took longer than initially announced: safe handling, separate containers, additional cutting sequences — and in the end a very cautious disposal. Some neighbors said there was less noise at times because samples had to be taken first and specialized firms had to be brought in.

Looking ahead: A new health center

Now the clearing is underway: after the debris is removed, the earthworks begin and preparations for the new building. Planned is a complex with a rehabilitation day center, an emergency area, and a health center — no giant hospital anymore, but a place for outpatient care and rehabilitation. For many residents this sounds like a practical solution: shorter journeys, less traffic chaos than a large hospital operation.

This morning I met resident Ana near Plaça. She said she played here as a child, watching the crane. People have gotten used to the construction, but it is good to have something new come. Others, especially older neighbors, feel a bit of nostalgia: hospitals carry stories — moments of birth and farewells — and now there are only memories left.

What to expect next

The city administration announced that the public tender for the next phase of construction should start later this year. This means noise and construction traffic will be on the agenda again — this time for the coming months, not years. If everything goes to plan, parts of the health center could be in operation in a few years.

For the neighborhood this means patience, detours and occasional construction noise. And for Palma: a bit less old building, but new infrastructure for health on-site.