The most complex and large project presented to date by the City Council to apply for European funds, valued at 5.9 million euros, has passed the first screening and is in the evaluation phase. It includes the rehabilitation of the old prison to convert the 17th-century building into a socio-cultural space, the creation of a green area next to the old warehouses of the Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla, in the Santa María neighbourhood, and the repair of at least six nearby social housing, where the vulnerable population resides, to improve their energy efficiency.
The mayor, Diego José Mateos, explained, in statements to LA VERDAD, that “there is a common thread” within the environment because “we want not only to recover buildings, but also to create synergies with the population that inhabits the historic center and enable green spaces” of those lacking in the area. The project is called Innovative Urban Actions and is part of the New European Bauhaus, the urban approach defined by the European Union (EU) and whose fundamental values are sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics. Three expert companies in landscaping and green roofs and in energy efficiency are also involved in the initiative, led by the City Council, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in Greece, the City Council of Bozcaada, in Turkey, and the association of Alentejo municipalities, in Portugal.
It is the most complex of those presented, and experts in landscaping, universities and other European municipalities participate
An urban climate innovation action is integrated into the project as a most unique intervention so that the prison building and social housing regulate the temperature by themselves thanks to an interior lining with materials that soak up water and do not allow heat to enter in summer and that stays dry and warm in winter. The old deposits of Santa María will be used to store rainwater and lead it to the buildings, as a pilot experience. This “accessory” action gives a differential value to the project at the time of its assessment to achieve a higher score, indicated the technical staff of the European fundraising office.
unfinished restoration
The building of the old prison underwent consolidation works on its structure in 2020 due to the damage caused by the 2011 earthquakes, with an item of 375,000 euros from the Heritage Recovery Master Plan, and unsuccessfully opted for a three-year grant million euros from the 1.5% cultural interest from the Ministry of Public Works to complete its restoration. In 2022, it attended the call for aid from the Program to Promote the Rehabilitation of Public Buildings (Pirep) of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda with a project valued at 2.8 million euros and was once again left out. Now, the most important item of the 5.9 million requested, four million euros, will be for the conversion of the historic property into a socio-cultural space.
The resolution will be known before June 23, and the maximum execution period is July 31, 2027.
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