Controversy in Son Sardina: Cort claims the key to the community center managed by residents

PalmThe Son Sardina Neighbors Association has reported that the Palma City Council has requested them to return the key to the neighborhood's community center, which they currently manage, within 15 days. They consider this decision a new episode of institutional “persecution” against the space and the neighborhood's associative fabric.

As they explained in a statement, the notification arrives a few weeks after hundreds of residents mobilized to demand a public square and a community center with popular management in Can Pasquet, a historic demand that has had the support of social entities, educational centers, and collectives on the island. The council argues that the management of neighborhood community centers is a municipal responsibility and that the activity carried out in the space does not comply with current regulations. However, the association rejects this justification and assures that the City Council has been hindering activities for months and has not renewed the usage rights, which have been in effect for a decade.

The residents also criticize the state of conservation of the facility and denounce a lack of maintenance. They state that last Christmas, a sewage pipe damaged a room that has not yet been repaired, and they point to recurring problems such as leaks or structural damage. In this regard, they maintain that the community center has remained active “despite institutional neglect”. The conflict is part of a long history of mobilization in the neighborhood. In 2022, they recall, the organized neighborhood stopped an eviction process initiated by CaixaBank, which forced the signing of an agreement with the City Council until 2027.

Regarding the current use of the space, the association maintains that the community center has become a community meeting point with self-managed activities such as Catalan classes, yoga, martial arts, or various workshops, and they assure that it meets the needs of the neighborhood without causing conflicts with residents. Finally, the residents accuse the municipal government, formed by PP and Vox, of acting with political criteria and demand the renewal of the usage rights, as well as a clear commitment to a public community center with community management in Can Pasquet. They also demand an end to what they call “persecution” and that proximity facilities be strengthened to bolster the social fabric.