The works of the first phase of the Barriomar green space, of almost 4 hectares and in which five million will be invested, will begin in the last quarter of the year
The West Metropolitan Park of Barriomar is already taking shape. The first 37,786 square meters (almost four hectares) of what will be the most important green lung in the city will be available for enjoyment in the first half of 2023 if the City Council’s plans are carried out as planned. A project that was defined as “the backbone of the new urbanism in Murcia.”
The investment, which exceeds five million euros, will be financed 80% with European ‘Next Generation’ funds. The remaining 20% will be borne by the municipal coffers. And the first works will begin in the last quarter of the year.
“We have gone from the Toyo Ito of the 20th century to the Metropolitan Park of the 21st century”, the mayor of Murcia, José Antonio Serrano, emphasized yesterday during the presentation of the final design of the new green area, which as a whole and after finishing the different phases , will have 200,000 square meters. When mentioning the Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the mayor was referring to the Parque Oeste project that was designed and presented in 2007 when Miguel Ángel Cámara was mayor, but which was put on hold due to the brick crisis of 2008 and subsequent years.
This first phase of the project, exhibited yesterday, focuses on the “more urban” area with more facilities in the park. It is also the closest to the neighborhood and to the A30 motorway with which it adjoins. “It will allow Barriomar to connect with the rest of the city, with which we will suture the wound that has been open for years with the neighborhood and its abandonment,” Serrano pointed out. There will be pedestrian and cycling routes and a footbridge over the Segura river that will allow its natural connection with the urban center of the city and with the La Contraparada area.
“It is going to be a real revolution for the municipality,” said the mayor, who added that “we are aware of the historical abandonment that Barriomar has suffered; our firm objective is to carry out this project».
Presentation of the new works in the West Metropolitan Park of Barriomar, this Monday. /
Mitigating floods, through a drainage system and runoff infiltration, will be another of its virtues.
“It is the best investment for future generations,” says García
The municipal mayor of La Purísima-Barriomar, Juan José García, attended yesterday the presentation of the first phase of the Parque Metropolitano Oeste, an insistent demand from the residents of a neighborhood in the south of the city that has not yet taken off. “We have been waiting for this project for a long time to become a reality and, without a doubt, we are going to enjoy it,” he said. The president of the Neighborhood Board, of the PP, added that “any investment in parks and gardens and in the environment is, without a doubt, the best for future generations.”
From the Municipal Group, however, they stressed that a project that they had expected to be fully executed in 2023 is delayed. «The project presented by the Popular Party a year ago would have been completed in 2023, but the reality is that, since the motion of censure, the Socialists have condemned the municipality to 2 years of setback, not starting any project or delaying others as in this case”.
The mayor was accompanied at the presentation by the councilors of Barrios y Pedanías and Urbanismo, Ainhoa Sánchez and Andrés Guerrero, respectively; and the technicians from Urbamusa who were the authors of the project, the architect Guillermo Jiménez and the Civil Engineer and expert in sustainable urban drainage systems Ana Martínez Rodríguez.
Serrano indicated that it was necessary to wait for permission from the Segura Hydrographic Confederation (CHS) to act on the river, specifically with the projected pedestrian and bicycle walkway, and for which “we have already received the positive report.” Councilor Sánchez pointed out that, in collaboration with the College of Architects, the bases were running out to launch an ideas competition for its design.
rain evacuation
There are three main pillars on which the design is based: a large tree-lined square with natural shade which, at the end near the motorway, will allow the park to be isolated from the noise and sight of cars and in which there will be an amphitheater and booth spaces. Itineraries to the south, east and west of the municipality will depart from this area. A second pillar, the one near the Alcantarilla road, where gerontogimnasia equipment areas, ‘fitness’ (adapted for people with reduced mobility) and children’s games will be installed. The third pillar, in the direction of the town center and La Contraparada, will have a footbridge, it will be the most naturalized area and will reach Rincón de Seca.
The project foresees sustainable urban drainage systems that will help mitigate the risk of flooding
Architect Jiménez indicated that a total of 500 trees and 5,000 native shrubs will be planted and that the wooded area will be 16,245 square meters.
The entire park will have a sustainable urban drainage system, known as SUDS, which will allow the evacuation of rainwater, control the quantity and quality of the water that flows through it during rainy episodes; it will promote the biodiversity of the trees and will have permeable pavements, explained engineer Martínez.
The Town Planning councilor stressed that it was the first time that water infiltration and lamination systems were used, with a return of 48 hours, to prevent flooding.
The City Council closed the deal with the owners of just over 20,000 square meters last February, to whom it will pay 87,194 euros
If one of the milestones to be achieved was the authorization of the CHS to build the footbridge over the river from Paque Oeste, another was to close the expropriation of the private land affected by the work.
The mayor, José Antonio Serrano, indicated that the definitive expropriation project will go to the plenary session in May for its approval (although it was expected to go through this requirement last February) and that, after fulfilling this requirement, the land will be prepared. .
The Urban Planning Commission last February gave the green light to the final acquisition of 20,265 square meters for a final amount of 87,194 euros, as reported at the time by the City Council.
This project has been carried out through the system of direct occupation/expropriation by joint appraisal and affects 14 parcels in the first phase of the park, which will be located in this neighbourhood. These 20,000 square meters are added to the other 20,000 square meters that the Murcia City Council already owns
The initial budget for these expropriations was 678,000 euros; the difference, 591,000 euros, will be used for future expropriations, according to municipal sources. This reduction in prices compared to the initial forecasts was achieved because “virtually all the owners of the plots subject to expropriation have opted for the direct occupation system, with which they reserve the urban rights that correspond to them, so that the compensation only refers to to occupation rights, ”the councilor of the branch, Andrés Guerrero, explained to LA VERDAD after the meeting of the Urban Planning Commission.
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