The Urban Planning Management of Seville has resolved the contract for drafting the project of the Los Bermejales civic centre, which included the development of the park and the repair of the bridge, due to deadline breaches. The City Council will consult the Advisory Council of Andalusia before formalising the termination.
The Los Bermejales neighbourhood in Seville will have to wait even longer for its new civic centre. The Executive Commission of the Urban Planning Management has decided to terminate the existing contract for the drafting of the project, which also included the development of the urban park and the repair of the bridge over the old course of the Guadaíra River, as well as technical assistance to the management and coordination of safety and health.
According to municipal sources, the reason is the “breach by the contractor” regarding deadlines. The contract, which had an execution period of 38 months, had already received two deadline extensions that the company failed to meet. Before formalising the termination, the City Council has decided to consult the Advisory Council of Andalusia, at the proposal of the general secretary.
A Project Blocked Since 2024
Last November, the Urban Planning Government Council was already informed of a resolution from the manager that initiated the process to terminate the contract. Almost two years after its award, the facility remains uncertain, while the neighbourhood residents, who have been demanding infrastructure for years, see how another key project – the new institute – has made progress.
The plot where the civic centre was to be located is L-shaped and is situated in the Guadaíra Park, facing Avenida de Italia. It occupies 18,997 square metres, where an old university residence once stood. The projected building would have two above-ground floors (ground + first) and a basement, surrounded by green topography that would conceal the construction. The total usable area would be 2,675 square metres.
More Park and a Restored Bridge
The project was not limited to the civic centre. It included the development of the rest of the plot, about 14,180 square metres, which would expand the park's boundaries by more than 16,000 square metres. Existing trees would be maintained and reinforced, and an area would be reserved for an urban garden classroom. The drafting of a restoration proposal for the bridge over the Guadaíra River, on Avenida de Jerez, was also contemplated, involving structural reinforcement work on cornices and foundation braces, as well as new water drainage installations.
This location was chosen after the site where a mosque was proposed in 2004 was discarded, a project that was ultimately scrapped due to continuous neighbourhood protests. Now, the neighbourhood finds itself at a standstill once again. Residents, who have already seen other projects delayed, will have to wait for the Advisory Council to issue its opinion before Urban Planning can re-tender the contract. Meanwhile, the park and the bridge will continue to await their long-awaited transformation.
The City Council hopes that the Advisory Council's opinion will arrive in the coming months, but in the meantime, Los Bermejales remains without a date for a facility that has been on paper for years. The patience of the residents is once again being tested.
You may also like
