El Poble Nou de Benitatxell unlocks a project that will mark the cultural future of the municipality. The government team has taken the first firm step towards making a long-awaited infrastructure a reality: the acquisition of four plots that will serve to house the future multipurpose cultural centre of the town.
The purchase of 4 adjoining plots of land on Valencia avenue has recently been signed, totalling an area of 3,350 m2: one of 2,316 m2 (480,010 euros), another of 251 m2 (64,820.42 euros), a third of 492 m2 (134,936.62 euros) and a fourth, including housing, of 305 m3 of surface area, of which 291 m2 are built (165,064.56 euros).
This milestone is the starting point to meet a historic demand of the neighbours, laying the foundations of a modern and versatile space where culture and social encounter have, at last, their own home and shelter. The cultural centre will have, in addition to an assembly hall, an experiential museum of Les Pesqueres, classrooms, underground parking and a square for multiple uses with spectacular views of the Montó and the vineyard terraces.
As the mayor Miguel Ángel García celebrated, «our town is in luck. The acquisition of these lands is the most ambitious and strategic purchase that has been carried out in the municipality. With it, we want to provide El Poble Nou de Benitatxell with a multipurpose and very useful building, but without pharaonic works. That it is not only an auditorium with strict use, but a living and flexible space.»
«The objective is to project a space designed to enjoy and share among all the neighbours. A place capable of hosting from the arrival of the Three Wise Men to plays, concerts, popular celebrations that require the installation of tables and chairs, or any other event that brings together the people of the town. We want it to be able to satisfy a historical demand that today is not consolidated due to the deficit of investments in municipal infrastructures that our municipality has suffered,» said García.
The suitability of these lands
This future project is the result of intense technical and political work dating back to 2019. Although initially efforts were focused on negotiations with the owners of a property in a different location, the lack of agreement on such an alternative slowed progress. Faced with this situation, about a year ago the study of the current location on Valencia avenue began, which technical reports have indicated as the most advantageous option for the equipment. Over the last few years, meetings have taken place with the different owners of the four plots until the purchase agreement has been reached, which has recently been formalised.
As can be seen from the technical report prepared by the municipal urban planning department, these lands are «the ideal and singularly suitable location» for the construction of this multipurpose centre and the rest of the infrastructures.
The document bases its conclusions on several weighty arguments. On the one hand, the strategic location within the urban core, as well as the characteristics and size of the surface area, of 3,350 m2. There is no other equivalent alternative in the municipality that helps to alleviate the historical deficit of socio-cultural facilities, so these plots are the only option of optimal dimensions for large-scale municipal facilities.
Added to this suitability is the excellent accessibility of the plot. Its location allows comfortable and quick access by vehicle, facilitating parking and avoiding traffic saturation in the old town. In addition, this location has been defined in line with the objectives of the Mobility Plan, which contemplates the future projection of a new urban road. This axis will connect the entrance through Xàbia – from the junction of Trinquet street, the old road of Xàbia and the Camí Benicambra – with the access from Teulada through Alicante avenue.
In this way, an infrastructure is guaranteed that is fully integrated into the urban core and close to the main services, but with a peripheral operation in terms of mobility that protects the centre of the municipality from the influx of vehicles. This planning ensures that the provision of facilities is not an isolated action, but responds to a strategic vision of the growth of the municipality.
But another key factor is the natural level of the land. As it is located below the ground level of Valencia, it makes it possible to implement a two-storey underground car park without the need for major excavations, which is a significant technical and economic advantage. For all these reasons, the technical report concludes that these plots constitute «a strategic opportunity for the development of public facilities in the municipality».
