Palma City Council begins expropriating the underground premises of the Plaza Mayor

PalmThe Palma City Council has begun the process of expropriating the premises located in the basement of the Plaza Mayor, with an approximate total budget of 4.2 million euros. This was announced on Wednesday by the municipal spokesperson, Llorenç Bauzá, after the Governing Board meeting.

The procedures will affect a total of 25 premises and their common areas, which add up to nearly 2,000 square meters of surface area. According to Bauzá, this action is "essential" to recover the commercial arcades of this central space and to subsequently activate the works of the comprehensive renovation project for the plaza. The expropriation file will be subject to public review for one month, and the price of the establishments will be determined through a joint appraisal process. The spokesperson clarified that not all premises will have the same value, given their varying sizes. Regarding the timeline, he indicated that the City Council could have the spaces available between summer and the end of 2026, although the schedule will depend on any potential objections.

The renovation of Plaça Major originated from an ideas competition won by the team formed by Barceló Balanzó Arquitectes and Scob Arquitectura i Paisatge. The selected proposal aims to combine architectural quality, respect for heritage, and improved public use of the space, with the goal of strengthening Palma's social and territorial cohesion. The project proposes opening up the underground galleries and creating a large, open central area. Among other actions, the end of La Rambla will be connected to the square, the parking garage entrance will be buried, and the complex will be reorganized on two levels. Above ground, a large, open, and flexible space will be maintained, while on the lower level—where the galleries are currently located—a large atrium or agora will be created. The objective is to eliminate the current feeling of a closed and residual space and transform it into an open area integrated into urban life.

Furthermore, the City Council plans to locate the future City Interpretation Centre in the Plaza Mayor, a key element in boosting Palma's candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2031. This facility is conceived as the core of a network of exhibition spaces that will also include Can Serra and the city tower.