Benidorm begins the rehabilitation of the Casilla de Peones Camineros, which will end before the end of the year

The Benidorm City Council has begun work on the refurbishment and improvement of universal accessibility in the old Casilla de Peones Camineros, located on Via Emilio Ortuño, a work that will be completed before the end of this year and that will enable the property to become a civic and social centre. The property, of 138 square meters, is located on a plot of 384 square meters.

This is the recovery of a unique building, more than 100 years old, which will be given a neighbourhood service once it has been conditioned. This property belonged to State heritage, but the City Council requested through the Department of General Heritage the transfer of it to provide it with accessibility and functionality.

Once the free transfer was achieved last year, the building was vacated and an assessment of the work to be carried out was carried out "prioritizing maintaining the iconic image of this type of building and implementing its habitability, as well as adapting its accessibility", according to explained the Councilor for General Heritage, Jaime Jesús Pérez, who added that the City Council sought to dispose of the property "for the provision of municipal public services."

For this reason, the campaign 'A pie de calle' has traveled to the place with the councilors of Citizen Participation and Public Space, Ana Pellicer and José Ramón González de Zárate, and the mayor of General Heritage. Along with them have been the vice presidents of the Neighborhood Council, Teresa Garrido and Manuel Sánchez Notario, as well as several residents of the area.

The action, included in this year's participatory budgets, will involve a municipal investment of 48,392 euros and an estimated execution period of four months so that it will be completed before the end of 2022.

The works will consist of various demolitions, removal of belongings, formation of an accessible ramp, railings, pavements, tiling, false ceilings, partition walls, plumbing, telecommunications and electricity installations, painting, gardening and waterproofing.

At present, the building suffers significant deterioration due to prolonged abandonment, damage due to vandalism and other deficiencies due to its age. "For this reason, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive action that allows the enclosure to be provided with the necessary conditions so that the available spaces are by the new multipurpose use that it will have" indicated José Ramón González de Zárate.

Thus, two environments will be formed; one exterior with a garden and living areas, and another interior with different areas: reception, multipurpose rooms, two toilets, an adapted toilet, office and storage. Related to accessibility, a ramp will be built to connect the rooms and places available for use both in the building and from public roads.

The building "will become a neighbourhood meeting point for workshops, meetings, conferences or any other activity that residents and neighbourhood associations consider" said the Councilor for Citizen Participation, Ana Pellicer.

Jaime Jesús Pérez, for his part, stressed that "obtaining this property allows us to promote a new neighbourhood project, generating new meeting spaces for the residents of this neighbourhood, while improving citizen attention and responding to a request sent by the residents of the area”.

The mayor has added that with the recovery of the building "we preserve and value a heritage element that reminds us of a part of the history of our country, personified in the figure of the road workers, in charge since the 18th century of taking care of path the state of Spanish roads in each league”.