Son Bordoy under scrutiny: when new development swallows the neighborhood

Son Bordoy under scrutiny: when new development swallows the neighborhood

Early Monday morning the familiar beeping of construction vehicles on the MA-19 mixed with voices that have shared daily life here for decades. Past balconies with laundry lines, cats and children on their way to school, the first evictions were ordered in Son Bordoy. The planned new development of up to 750 homes sounds like growth — for many affected people it means the loss of home and social security. The central question remains: How much development can Palma afford before the city loses its own soul? Similar large plans are described in Palma plans 3,600 homes — Opportunities, risks and the big question of infrastructure.

What is happening now

In the first days around 200 people were asked to leave their homes. For them these are not temporary addresses but lifelong places: the baker on the corner, the neighbor with the cat food, the familiar bus route. Officially the administration speaks of orderly relocations and replacement housing. But on Carrer de la Mar there are no clear lists, comprehensible deadlines or binding offers. Many notices seem short-term and hard to understand — an administrative pressure that tears at everyday life. Other evictions are discussed in Son Banya before the eviction: Court confirms Palma as owner — and now?.

The legal question mark: the 1992 agreement

A central point of dispute is an alleged 1992 usage agreement that is said to have guaranteed housing protection for certain properties. Residents recall signatures and promises from that time; the city downplays the legal effect. Such inconsistencies are more than a legal detail: they decide who is entitled to replacement housing, deadlines and legal protection. As long as this remains unresolved, families live in a gap between paper and street.

Between administration, investors and people

At first glance the interests are clearly divided. The administration wants new living space, investors see returns near the airport and the beach. Between them are people whose everyday lives consist of small, unremarkable things: a chat in front of the small supermarket, helping older neighbors with shopping, tradesmen’s jobs that secure livelihoods. Who pays for interim solutions? Who helps carry the furniture? Questions that appear neither in investor presentations nor in development plans. Excavators have rolled into Son Güells, as covered in Palma keeps building: 64 apartments in Son Güells – who is the neighborhood for?.

Everyday networks are not a luxury

Anyone who has ever been to the El Molinar market knows the rhythm: vendors calling out, children playing, someone delivering the newspaper to the door. These informal networks are hard to count but easy to lose. Children lose playmates, older people lose shopping help, small businesses lose regular customers. A resident puts it bluntly: "This is more than an address. This is our daily life."

Underappreciated consequences

The economic chain reactions are often underestimated: the corner bakery, the small carpenter, the cleaning service — they all depend on stable tenants. When the first families move away, pressure on prices rises; land and rents can quickly climb. The intended gentrification of a neighborhood can thus turn into a displacement spiral and ultimately reduce the attractiveness of the place. A modern neighborhood with empty local shops is hardly desirable.

What is missing so far

Affected people report poor information. Deadlines are said to be too short, notices incomprehensible. The support group PAH demands an independent review of the orders and binding social criteria for every new development: truly affordable alternative flats, longer transition periods, financial help for moving and furnishing. Many promises exist, but too few are secured in writing.

Concrete approaches — immediate and mid-term

There are measures that could immediately ease pressure in the process: a moratorium on evictions until the legal status of the 1992 agreement is clarified; a publicly accessible list of all affected addresses with clear deadlines; binding commitments for temporary housing and moving assistance; and the establishment of a mediation center with independent legal advice on site. In the medium term Palma needs binding social quotas in new developments, community benefit agreements that secure local jobs and operating costs for small shops, and a preservation program for neighborhood meeting places. Debates over speed and planning are explored in Palma plans 3,500 apartments: Opportunity for Son Güells — or too much speed, too little planning?.

The coming day will be important

Tomorrow representatives of PAH, affected neighbors and a city councillor will meet. What matters is whether the administration presents concrete, written and binding measures — not just statements of intent. Urban development must not be decided solely in planning offices; it must make the voices of the people heard. Otherwise a project of opportunity risks becoming a social slide.

Our impression: Son Bordoy could bring modern housing and quality of life. Without transparency, clear rules and real alternatives, however, the project threatens to tear deep rifts in Palma's social fabric. The coming weeks will decide whether the construction sites will later be defined by life or by protests.