Benidorm City Council is going back to its plan to develop an underground parking garage on Avenida Jaime I that can hold more than 400 cars. This will happen over 15 years after the first time they tried. Mayor Toni Pérez said today that “The plenary session will vote to transfer the concession for the planned parking garage on Jaime I to Telpark Benidorm, which currently manages the Ametlla del Mar, Mercado Municipal, and Tomás Ortuño parking garages.” Aljamil possessed this concession until now. Telpark Benidorm bought Aljamil more than a year ago.
Toni Pérez said that with this transfer, “the company acquires the right to build and operate this public car park,” which “will significantly increase the available parking spaces in this area, which will undoubtedly contribute to revitalising activity – as already occurred after the remodelling of the avenue – while resolving and addressing potential present and future parking needs.” He also stressed that, unlike what happened in the previous phase, the project will be executed “with great care given to the existing trees and trying to minimise as much as possible the impact of the work on commerce, residents, the impact on the public road and pedestrian traffic and circulation.”
The mayor said that the underground parking will cover the part of Jaime I that goes from Avenida Nicaragua to the intersection with Ricardo Bayona and Los Limones. This is around 350 metres long. He also said that “work will start almost right away.” The aim is to fence off the area and start digging after the Immaculate Conception long weekend in December. The main attention will be on the road.
Along with the parking lot, there will be two roundabouts on the avenue to make it easier to get to without slowing down or stopping traffic. The first roundabout will be at the intersection of Ricardo Bayona and Los Limones streets, and the second will be next to Marqués de Comillas.
The Mayor said, “When we plan the work, we will make sure that the effect is as small as possible for both residents and businesses, so that the work can fit in with the daily life of the avenue, at least for pedestrians.”
On the left side of the avenue, going uphill, the pavement will only be slightly encroached upon in very specific places. On the right side, the pavements will be temporarily narrowed by several metres, but “always respecting and ensuring pedestrian traffic and access to buildings and businesses.” After the work is done, the pavement will be put back in place.
Toni Pérez then remembered that “the current Avenida Jaime I was remodelled just under a decade ago, and therefore one of the requirements we have imposed is that the work minimally impact the renovated surroundings, paying special attention to the pavements and the care of the trees.” To do this, about half the trees on the right side of the road going up will be cut back, taken down, moved and cared for until they can be planted again. The trees on the left sidewalk will not be disturbed.
The work will be divided into three parts, and the project should be done in around 15 months. So, the corporation should show the basic project as soon as feasible. Work can start right after the Immaculate Conception long weekend, which means it will only interrupt one Christmas season, one Easter week, and one summer.
Background and steps to fix the problem
The Jaime I underground car park was added to the Futura 2000 Plan in 2009. It was meant to replace the one that was supposed to be built in Plaza de España. This happened only when the surveys and technical studies showed that this infrastructure could work in August of that year.
In early April 2010, workers excavated trenches and cut down all the trees in the centre and lower parts of Avenida Jaime I to be ready for the parking lot. The street was left in ruins because the parking lot was never built. In 2015, with Toni Pérez as mayor, the avenue was remodelled to meet the needs of businesses and inhabitants after five years of what the mayor called “horror.”
One of the changes made during the remodelling was the addition of covered places. This was done by taking down the awnings and shades from the last phase and planting about 90 trees.
“Unlike what happened in 2010,” great care was taken to protect this natural treasure when planning the new project. So, the aim is to cut down 31 trees along the avenue. “At first, they will be moved to a nursery and then moved to a different part of the city.” The mayor said, “The municipal agricultural engineer will always be in charge of taking care of these trees, removing them, and moving them.”
Toni Pérez said, “We are not going to make the same mistakes that others have made in the past.” He also said that “the political leaders and municipal technicians will be closely monitoring the project’s progress and making sure that every condition set by the City Council is met to minimise disruption to residents and business owners and the impact on the environment.”
Lastly, the mayor said, “Traffic and mobility have changed a lot in Benidorm since this project was planned.” This includes, among other things, making more than 9,000 park-and-ride spaces, putting in place traffic-calming measures, the LEZ, and rules for new streets and pedestrian zones. He said, “We think it was time to do this project, which is needed to make more public parking available around Jaime I. It will also improve the services on this avenue and the streets around it, making the area more appealing for business and social purposes.”
Author: Derek Appleton
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