The Costa Blanca city of Alicante is planning for one of the most anticipated urban development projects of recent decades – a 35,000sqm city park which will include 1,400 housing units.
On Monday April 13th the Ministry of Transport and the Alicante City Council will finally unveil the design for the future Parque Central, a key project which aims to redefine the Costa Blanca city.
When it’s complete, the new park will extend from Plaza de la Estrella to Vía Parque, passing through Avenida Fiestas Populares y Tradicionales.
The idea is to create a large public space of parks and gardens between the two neighbourhoods of Benalúa and San Blas, along the old railway tracks, which currently divide them.
According to the plans developed so far, the project will include at least 35,000 square metres of green space. It will also feature new housing developments of around 1,400 units, 30 percent of which will be publicly subsidised.
The project is also linked to the future intermodal station, planed as a hub integrating trains, trams, buses, and taxis in a single space, redesigning a total of 469,000 square metres.
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The new park will essentially underground tunnelling of the existing train tracks, which have historically created a divide through the city.
For years, various social and political groups have demanded that the tracks be removed and something be done with this space in order to eliminate the physical separation between the neighbourhoods of San Blas, Alipark, La Florida and Benalúa.
Originally the Ministry of Transport wanted a much less-ambitious project, but in 2024, the Alicante City Council undertook several investigations, in which more than 3,200 residents took part.
The results showed that the city’s citizens prioritise the creation of large green spaces, as well as effective connections between neighbourhoods.
Participants also said they wanted to strengthen the links between the urban centre and natural spaces such as the Rabasa Lagoons.
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The final park design is the result of years of complex negotiations between the Alicante City Council, the local Valencian government, the Ministry of Transport and ADIF, Spain’s railway infrastructure manager.
According to Mayor Luis Barcala, the neighbourhoods of Benalúa and San Blas – between Aguilera Avenue and Bono Guarner Street – will be connected on foot with a “friendly” solution to create a large public space between the two districts without any roads in between.
Keep an eye on our website for more details when the plans are unveiled on Monday April 13th.
