While the chulapos are waddling through the meadow of San Isidro a few meters away, on the Ermita del Santo promenade, local residents hang posters from their windows and balconies in protest of the project that has just been approved. The City Council has already has communicated what the future of Los Carmenes will be like: “The Plenary of the City Council has given the green light this Tuesday to the Specific Modification of the General Urban Development Plan for the Ermita del Santo planning area.” Thus, two 23-storey towers overlooking the cemetery will be added to the neighborhood, although in the original project 28 floors were projected, neighborhood demands have managed to lower them and include sports areas and social housing.
This new urban development project will replace the Ermita del Santo Shopping Center, which has been in the process of semi-abandonment for more than five years. Surviving are a large gymnasium, a bowling alley, a supermarket and the Goya Theater that bring life to the area. But it has not been possible to cross inside for months, which prevents normal circulation in the neighborhood and to cross from the promenade to Segovia Street, where Caramuel Park, the green lung of the area, is located, you have to go around the entire complex or go through a parking lot.
Desarrollos Ermita del Santo, SOCIMI, S.A. is the Suite of five companies that own these 50,000 square meters. The Venezuelan businessman Alberto Enrique Finol Galué has the largest shareholding (30%) El Confidencial was also behind a similar requalification in Barcelona.
What will the Ermita del Santo project be like?
This “rebirth of the Ermita del Santo”, according to the promotional video of the City Council, will have 548 new homes. Of these, 29% are aimed at “the lower income population” – the minimum required by law is 20%. This increase is due to the continuous protests of the neighbors who have achieved that 40% of these apartments are basic price.
The Goya Theater will be relocated within this new space and 2,000 m² of municipal facilities will be added, replacing the existing sports complex, although the existing sports complex will be replaced the karting circuit will disappear entirely. It is also planned to link the Ermita del Santo park with the Caramuel park by means of a Verde corridor 60 meters wide.