The Casal Cívic i Comunitari de la Magòria, in the surroundings of the old Magòria station, remains sealed and closed with security fences after technicians detected structural damage that compromises the safety of the building. The Generalitat ordered the immediate closure of the facility after the situation worsened with the detachment of a support piece from the canopy.
The closure has left about 800 users of this center without space, located in a 1912 building listed as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest. The building, described as a unique piece of the city's railway heritage and in the Neo-Mudéjar and Modernist style, already had a previous diagnosis and a rehabilitation project, although the incidents recorded in March have accelerated the need for intervention.
A closure that went from temporary to immediate
The casal had initially communicated a brief closure between March 30 and April 10 to repair the damage detected in the exterior canopy. However, the worsening condition of the property led the technical services to advise against the continuation of the activity and to decree the immediate closure of the center.
The Generalitat has promoted the urgent contracting of the necessary actions to rehabilitate the canopy and the interior facade. The initial forecast is that the works will last about four months and, if no unforeseen events arise, the reopening could take place around September.
Activities moved to Jardí de la Magòria
Part of the activities this quarter have been relocated to the Jardí de la Magòria, managed by the Plataforma del Jardí de l"Estació de la Magòria. In this space, yoga classes, Nordic walking meetups, chair gymnastics, and pétanque games are being held, with the aim that users do not completely lose their usual activity.
"The people had already paid the quarter and, suddenly, they told us it was closing. We were left thinking what do we do now" - Montse Blázquez, AV y Amics de la Magòria
"We were left on the street, when people had just paid the quarter. We told them that if they can't do the activities now, they will do them in October" - Maria Dolors Lizondo, Asociación de Jubilados de Magòria
The transfer, even so, does not resolve all the needs. Several users claim that the works advance quickly to be able to return in September and recover basic services such as sinks. They also warn of the limitations of the garden for a part of the group, especially older people with mobility problems or more vulnerable to heat.
"There are elderly people who cannot come to the garden because of the heat or mobility issues. And that causes depression. We need this to be fixed soon" - User
"Today, for example, it rained and we had to do the yoga class standing up" - Users
Neighborhood unrest due to lack of alternatives
From entities in the environment, it is criticized that all activities have been left without an alternative covered space. The platform that manages the garden maintains that it has ceded this area to prevent users from staying at home, while the discontent over the response given so far persists.
"All activities have run out of space and the Generalitat has not offered any alternative. We have offered the garden so that people do not stay at home" - Cristina Ibáñez, Plataforma del Jardí de l'Estació de la Magòria
The entities also recall that they had been demanding better maintenance of the building for a long time, which for decades was neglected by administrations until its recovery as a casal about 20 years ago. In parallel, they denounce that the Jardí de la Magòria itself is threatened by the future urban development project of the area, which foresees the suppression of part of the green zone.
The associations defend that the garden be preserved in its entirety and consider that the current situation has reinforced its social utility. For the neighborhood groups, the closure of the casal has made it clear that this open space has become an essential piece while a rehabilitation progresses that now marks the calendar of hundreds of users waiting to be able to return to the building in the fall.