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Ambitious and extensive plans for remodelling the Parque de La Cubana in Alhama

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Over the next year, work will begin to transform the Parque de La Cubana into a green, central social hub

Ambitious and extensive plans for remodelling the Parque de La Cubana in Alhama

Alhama Town Council has presented its project for the massive and comprehensive remodelling of La Cubana park, which will become a large green space of 30,000m2 in the centre of the municipality, right next to the central Plaza de la Constitución.

The plan includes multiple areas aimed at allowing people of all ages to enjoy the new space, and it will also have a spa to put the municipality’s “mineral-medicinal thermal waters” at the service of local residents and visitors.

The proposal includes the maintenance of existing vegetation in the space and the use of new tree species to create shaded areas to help keep cool, especially in the summer months.

The whole project is based on the fundamental axis of urban adaptation to climate change and environmental sustainability, following the guidelines of the Sustainable Development Goals included in the 2030 Agenda. This includes solutions based on nature, such as sustainable urban drainage systems, the recovery of rainwater and the use of native and better adapted species.

The new park of La Cubana represents the adherence to a more contemporary, human, friendly, flexible, integrating and ecological urban model, where pedestrian mobility is prioritised, as well as seeking to respond to environmental and socio-cultural aspects, contributing to a more sustainable urban development, where the neighbours take centre stage and find a place to relate to and recognise their own city.

Construction plan

Alhama’s General Municipal Development Plan (PGMO), approved in March 2011 by all the groups of the Corporation, recognises the use of La Cubana as a large publicly-owned landscaped green space. In September 2015, the Council promoted the initiative ‘Alhama para vivirla’ within the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy based on the participation of citizens and the associative, business, cultural, educational and sporting fabric, among others, to improve public spaces as one of the actions most demanded by local residents.

As such, the design for the park has been drawn up by architects from the firms Grupo Aranea and Emac. Once the necessary legal formalities have been completed in the next few days, the work will be put out to tender for construction.

The project consists of two phases. The first phase involves the complete remodelling of the park, with an investment of 3.3 million euros and a completion period of 12 months. This will be joined by the modernisation of the Plaza de la Constitución, with a budget of 820,000 euros. In the second phase, the construction of the spa is planned for 6 million euros. These works also include a new leisure centre for the elderly, so that all these elements are integrated into a joint and transforming action to revitalise the urban centre, serving as a social and economic driving force.

Description of the project

La Cubana park can be considered as the core of the urban fabric of Alhama, as it is reached by several roads from different directions. These are connected by converging at nodes in the new park which will mark the main accesses, which in turn will have some sections of road traffic to allow circulation and parking, both on the perimeter and on the Avenida de la Constitución. A platform will be installed in this area to help reduce the speed of traffic.

The park will have several play areas and areas with water features, all of which will have plenty of plants. In terms of materials, the park will have special draining soil that will help to create “subtle transitions between permeable paving, walkable areas and dynamic spaces”.

Stone pieces of varying heights will also provide seating areas and grandstands in the auditorium area.

At all times, accessibility for people with reduced mobility is one of the most important considerations of the project.

The park in numbers

The new park of La Cubana will be a large space completely open to the outside, made up of the following areas:

Water fountains: one in the Plaza de la Constitución and four more throughout the park, linked by a north-south route
Children’s playgrounds: two children’s play areas, one in the northern part of the park, measuring 457m2 and the other in the southern part, measuring 287m2. The latter will also have an adapted play area
Squares: one located in front of the Town Hall, 620m2, and another water square, 1,314m2, in the central part of the park
Spaces for markets and fairs: one in the Plaza de la Constitución, 426m2, and another in the southern part of the park, 967m2
Auditorium: a stage in the Plaza de la Constitución and an auditorium in La Cubana with a capacity for 300 people seated and 2,732 people standing in its 967m2
Basketball court: 268.58m2
Fitness and bio-healthy games: 247.35m2
Car parks: more than 100 free parking spaces around the perimeter of the park, plus the municipal car park in the Plaza de la Constitución

Development of the works

The works consist of resurfacing, adapting the topography of the land, landscaping, rainwater management, supply network, irrigation, lighting, low voltage and equipment.

The preliminary actions include the transplanting of the existing trees, both inside and outside the site, protecting those species that are not transplanted. Next, the existing kiosk, street furniture, lighting, structures (pergolas, walls, etc.) and paving will be removed.

There will be new paving, trees and vegetation, modern street furniture will be installed, with benches and litter bins, children's games (including adapted ones) and exercise areas, ornamental fountains, scuppers and signposting. Modern lighting columns with the latest LED technology will also be installed, which will give the park a warm light at night, minimising pollution and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

A preview of the new spa in Alhama

Although the project will be presented in the next few weeks, the Town Hall has given a preview of some of the characteristics of the building as a more integrated element in the park.

It will be located in the facilities area, where the current auditorium and leisure centre for the elderly are located, with a surface area of 2,454m2.

It will consist of the swimming pool area, aromatic patio, hamman, treatment area, beaches, heaters, water garden, gymnasium, entrance hall and changing rooms.

The openings of the spa to the outside are an essential conditioning factor, not only for their ability to show certain views, but also, learning from the Roman and Arab domes, to bathe the space in light, generating unique atmospheres and enhancing the sensory experience that is lived in a spa.

In addition, a restaurant with an outdoor terrace will be built next to the spa, from where the park and the castle can be seen.

Casa de la Cultura, Residencia Virgen del Rosario and Casa de las Menas

The Casa de la Cultura and the Residencia de la Tercera Edad will maintain their structure and use. In the case of the latter, the Town Hall made the land adjacent to the current building available to the Autonomous Community for its extension, which is awaiting completion.

As for the Casa de las Menas, it will be given a new use, after the Social Services area has moved to the Los Secanos building, opposite the new park-and-ride car park next to Calle Molino.

Municipal auditorium and leisure centre for the elderly

The Tierno Galván auditorium will remain in operation until the new auditorium planned for the park area is ready for use, after which the existing building will be demolished.

The current building of the leisure centre for the elderly will remain in operation until the new one, next to the Virgen del Rosario residence, is built. This will be a more modern and functional place, adapted to the needs of its users, including a multipurpose room, reading room, meeting room, cafeteria and associative spaces, among others.

Brief history of La Cubana from its origins to the present day

The municipal park of La Cubana is situated on part of the estate of D. Lorenzo Rubio, an industrialist from Alhama who made his fortune in Cuba, where he married Emilia Arias. This garden was called ‘La Cubana’ after her. At the beginning of the 20th century, he built a colonial style house on his estate surrounded by an orchard with lemon trees, palm trees and walks under pergolas, among others. On the estate there was another building which was a warehouse where hemp soles and espadrilles were manufactured for export.

Alhama Town Council bought the estate in the 1960s, demolished the house to build the current Casa de la Cultura, which was inaugurated in 1974, and used the rest of the land to build the park of La Cubana, which was inaugurated on 7 October 1966. At that time, the park was the largest urban green space in the municipality.

The original 1966 design included a garden area and various facilities; the first children's traffic park in the region, a dance floor, a football pitch and two public swimming pools.

Regarding the garden, it was a simple design of large flowerbeds with diverse vegetation where there was a wooden aviary in one of them. Some of the tree species of the time are still preserved today. The pergolas that existed in the old one were removed and replaced by metal ones with bougainvillea and jasmine, and later bignonias have also been planted. In recent years, paving has been laid with cobblestones, the deteriorated playground equipment has been replaced and rubber paving has been laid underneath it. The old birdhouse deteriorated and was removed, and in December 2016 another metal one was installed in the same place.

As for the park facilities, the first children’s playground was removed and replaced by another one. The municipal swimming pools, located in that area, were also removed.

In a second remodelling, where the first children’s traffic playground used to be, walkways were built. The second children’s playground was removed and this space was used to house part of the fairgrounds. Where the old municipal swimming pools used to be, the municipal auditorium was built.

The garden of Las Menas is located in the old orchard of the Mena family home. This orchard consisted of lemon trees with palm trees, as well as the adjoining one belonging to D. Lorenzo Rubio. The Town Hall acquired it in the 60s and 70s. The structure of the garden was modified very little, which is why you can still see the sunken flowerbeds as is customary in Murcia’s gardens.

At the time, when the family was still alive, there was a porch with a large wisteria that is still there. The surroundings of the house were so leafy that in hot weather it is said that many neighbours came to visit the family to take refuge in this microclimate. A group of date palms have survived to the present day.

In 2008, Alhama Town Council acquired the last private property that makes up the park: the Casa de las Menas. Over the last few decades, the Consistory has been acquiring the various private properties that are currently part of the park, which has allowed for a surface area of 30,000m2 for a large central green space for the use and enjoyment of the residents of the municipality, as contemplated in the project for the remodelling of La Cubana.

For more local news, events and visiting information go to the home page of Alhama Today

Images: Ayuntamiento de Alhama de Murcia

Address

Tourist Office Alhama de Murcia, Plaza Constitucion. Frente Auditorio, nº 10, 30840, ALHAMA DE MURCIA

Tel: 968 633 512

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Oficina de Turismo de Alhama de Murcia

Alhama de Murcia Tourist Office

Alhama de Murcia Tourist information office is located on the edge of the Plaza de la Constitución, just a few metres away from the underground car park and the Town hall of Alhama de Murcia.

The tourist office offers free guided audiotours in English which take visitors around the historical sites of interest in Alhama. These be loaned at any time, although allow an hour and a half to complete the tour, and when loaning the audio equipment visitors are asked to leave passports or ID cards with the tourist office.

The office also carries a full range of leaflets for the archaeological museum of Los Baños, which is built around the historic spa which gives Alhama its name, and the mountains of Sierra Espuña, which is also an important area within the municipality of Alhama. Areas such as El Berro and Gebas have a number of interesting routes which can be followed and there are several picnic areas and good walking routes within the Sierra Espuña natural park.

The tourist office also carries leaflets for the many cultural events and fiestas which take place in Alhama throughout the year, including Los Mayos, Semana Santa, Christmas,the Romería of La Candelaria and the Auto de los Reyes Magos in El Berro.