Work was completed this week to remove the raised paving slabs where the provisional Mercat de Sant Antoni stood for years, fulfilling the pledge to local people. Paving in the area has been reconditioned, with seating and garden tubs installed so that people can stroll there and use the space for social and community purposes.
Now the work has concluded, as from this afternoon this area will again be used for free recreational and cultural activities, open to the general public. Two specific spaces have been set up again in the section between the streets of Comte d’Urgell and Floridablanca:
- Area for children and families: with board games and spaces for playing in
- Area for young people and adults: with tables, seating and materials such as books and magazines
Promoted by the Neighbourhood Plan, the project to revitalise the space was very well received by local people and seeks to promote the connection between El Raval and Sant Antoni, consolidating community dynamics with a view to the transformation of this space.
Definitive proposal
The final draft for the project to revamp the street is the result of a participatory process with local people over the last few months and is for a large car-free square with more greenery and community life.
A new space is planned between the streets of Villarroel and Floridablanca, with different paving and completely free of vehicles, for public use and connecting with the new Pl. Pes de la Palla, which will become a super play area.
The space will allow for bicycles to pass through and there will be a bus-only lane heading downwards between Villarroel and Comte d’Urgell, while Tamarit and Pl. Dubte will be renewed and two small squares created at the junctions with Casanovas and Tamarit.
The final project must now be drafted and the administrative steps completed. Work is expected to begin at the end of the summer.