Benidorm completes the rehabilitation of the new 'Espai d'Art La Casilla' on Emilio Ortuño street

Benidorm City Council has completed the rehabilitation of the old laborer's house located at number 25 of Via Emilio Ortuño, a new space that will serve to host eminently cultural activities, both municipal and emanating from neighborhood associations.

The municipal corporation, headed by the mayor, and representatives of the Neighborhood Council and neighborhood associations visited the property yesterday afternoon to find out its final state and the improvements made to it. An action that is finished, waiting only for the Ministry of Industry to authorize the registration of the electricity supply.

Yesterday, the mayor highlighted "the enormous possibilities of this space in which the aesthetics and essence of what was a box has been maintained." Toni Pérez stressed that the space has "maximum accessibility for anyone with reduced mobility" and stressed that it will be a place for cultural activities "which, although they will not be massive influx, does offer many possibilities thanks to the patio and the two rooms that allow hosting exhibitions” in a place that he described as “privileged”.

The rehabilitation and accessibility improvement works of the Espai d'Art La Casilla began in July of last year after the City Council obtained the transfer of the property, which is more than 100 years old, and was owned by the Ministry. A transfer was requested by the plenary in February 2020 and crystallized in November 2021.

Once this free transfer was completed after the efforts of the Department of General Heritage, the City Council included the rehabilitation in the participatory budgets at the request of the residents themselves. "Obtaining this property has allowed us to promote a new neighborhood project and generate meeting spaces," said the mayor, who added that "we had not been able to meet the requests and proposals for this place since we did not have the use of the property." The municipal investment made amounted to 48,392 euros.

The old laborer's house served during the last century as accommodation for the pawn who was in charge of maintaining the old national highway. “What we have done is value a heritage element that reminds us of a part of the history of our country, personified in the figure of road laborers, in charge since the 18th century of caring for the state of Spanish roads on foot of the road. in every league” Pérez said.

The property has an area of 138 square meters and is located on a 384-meter plot that required conditioning to house the new services provided. Now it has two rooms; one exterior with a garden and living areas, and another interior with different areas such as reception, multipurpose rooms, two adapted toilets, and a warehouse. A ramp connects the rooms and places arranged for use both in the building and from the public road.