The L'Hospitalet de Llobregat City Council will build the new Santa Eulàlia Municipal Sports Center in Alhambra park, after a technical study indicated this location as the only viable option based on criteria of accessibility, functionality, urban impact, mobility, and economic sustainability.
The decision comes with an underlying paradox in one of the neighborhood's urban planning debates. The new pavilion will occupy part of a park, but the project simultaneously plans for almost 9,000 square meters more of effective green space in Santa Eulàlia and Granvia Sud through the reorganization of several nearby areas.
The study ruled out El Gasómetro and the Rosanbus garages
The council proposes the new facility as a replacement for the current sports facilities, which it considers obsolete and limited both by their size and their location within a residential block.
Given this situation, the technical report concludes that Alhambra park is the only location that simultaneously meets the conditions of access, sports use, urban integration, and affordable cost for the project.
The El Gasómetro alternative was discarded due to the surface area the building would require and its effects on the surrounding mobility. The study also points to difficulties in access and parking for buses, as well as excessive proximity to housing.
In the case of the old Rosanbus garages, the main objection is legal and economic. The land is not municipally owned, which would necessitate high acquisition or expropriation costs and would delay the project's timeline.
Part of the sports center will be underground to maintain open space
The initial design foresees that part of the sports facilities will be underground. With this solution, the city council aims to preserve the continuity of the park's open space and reduce the visual impact of the future building.
The urban operation also incorporates a broader reorganization of the surrounding area. The municipal government plans to gain effective green space with the transformation of the El Gasómetro area, with new spaces on Alhambra and Aprestadora streets, and with the green development of the area around Francesc Macià square.
This increase in green space will affect two areas in the south of the city, Santa Eulàlia and Granvia Sud, and accompanies the replacement of some courts that the council considers obsolete for the current needs of the neighborhood.
The city council will launch a call for ideas to define the project
Once the location is set, the next step will be to launch a call for ideas to finalize the architectural and urban design of the new sports center.
Before that phase, the feasibility study has already been presented to the municipal political groups. The city council plans to also present it to neighborhood entities and associations at the Santa Eulàlia and Granvia Sud District Council.
This presentation to the neighborhood's associative fabric will be held soon at the Santa Eulàlia and Granvia Sud District Council, after the prior review by the municipal political groups.