The City Council of Palma will organise a contest of ideas for the restructuring of plaça Pere Garau and the Pere Garau municipal market. 14/10/2009. The contest plans the building of a large parking for users of the market and of a rotation parking. The municipal market's operations will continue during the building works. The districts' facilities will be enhanced with a multi-purpose room, a youth centre, a nursery and a library. The roads C/ Francesc Manuel de los Herreros and C/ Arquebisbe Aspàreg will be considered a civic centre area.

The Government Junta approved today, counting with the participation of the jury, the launching of a contest of ideas by means of the submission of drafts aimed at the restructuring of plaça Pere Garau, of the municipal market Pere Garau and of its urban surroundings. It is planned to conduct measures in the district, on the square and in the market buidling itself.

The contest meets the demands raised by the Follow-Up Commission created in the district, which is made up by representatives of three neighbourhood associations, of retailer associations and market users' associations and pays special attention on the parking and the creation of public areas for the neighbours.

The City Council of Palma aims to take the first steps towards the rehabilitation, renewal and revitalisation of the Pere Garau district, both on a urban and social level. The intense activity on the square, that combines both its role as a public area and that of an indoor and outdoor market, while representing one of the main assets within the district - thus the importance of maintaining it - generates traffic mobility problems and interferes in the daily life of the neighbours, as it is an area that misses areas that are specifically addressed to citizens. However, the criteria of this contest offers a solution to these issues.

The Jury, made up by members of the City Council of Palma, of professional associations and of retail and neighbourhood associations, will be taking into account the architectural and integrational elements, always keeping in mind the City Model.

The rules of the contest stipulate the award of a first prize amounting to 20,000 euros to the contest winner, who will be chosen by the Jury, a second prize amounting to 10,000 euros as well as a third prize of 5,000 euros.

Programme of requirements

On a urban level, the project proposals submitted to the contest must involve the measures that have already been planned for the entire district by the City Council and must define these actions in accordance to the measures projected for the square.

The roads C/ Francesc Manuel de los Herreros and C/ Arquebisbe Aspàreg will be considered a civic centre area and shall contribute to recovering public areas for citizens.

Planning of a linear rotation parking for users of the Market on the square's east side (extendable, with approximately 250 parking spaces at the beginning), that may be extended towards the roads C/ Luca de Tena and C/ Gabriel Llabrés, thus establishing the possible locations of the entrance and exit ramps and a possible connection with the existing parking. The planning of the parking must take into account an area reserved for the retailers' vehicles (approximately 40 vans). The roads C/ Faust Morell and C/ Capità Vila will be connecting the district with the green areas nearby, with the Polígon de Llevant industrial estate to the south and with the Parc de les Estacions to the north.

As regards the square, the scope of the proposal will involve the perimeter defined by the surrounding façades. The proposals tending to reduce the "roundabout" effect, that is currently the case due to the passing traffic, will be greatly valued.

Basic needs:

- Maintain the number of outdoor sales stands and plan their expansion. - Analyse the location of these sales stands, taking into account easy accessibility and keeping in mind the mounting and dismounting operations. - Analyse the possibility of expanding the location of sales stands to the surrounding roads according to the alternative traffic routes proposed in the project. - Plan the standardisation of awnings of the outdoor sales stands. - Determine the surface area of the time-limited access to loading and unloading areas. - Specify the areas for the selective waste collection (they are planned to be installed underground). - Location of ONCE's booth and of the public telephone booth - Location of the bus stops, depending on the alternative traffic routes proposed in the project. - Include urban furniture, trees and plants and lighting, always keeping in mind the coexistence of the different activities, of the outdoor market operations three days a week and of a public area on the remaining days. - Connect the new rotation parking with the existing parking. It must be taken into account that the parking places are privately owned and that they must be maintained. The existing ramps may be subject to modification.

As regards the main Market building, the proposal may be set out as a comprehensive restructuring, maintaing however the typical characteristics that identify the existing building. The proposals supporting the integration of the resulting building in the planning process of the City Council for the entire district will be greatly valued, as for example providing the civic areas with visual transparency.

General programme requirements to be taken into consideration:

- It must be taken into account that the Market's activities will need to continue its operations during the restructuring works. Hence, the submitted proposals must contemplate the provisional relocation and installation of the market during the restructuring process. - Elimination of architectural barriers, building of adapted toilets for the disabled, energy efficiency, functionality... - Maintain the number of sales stands. - Planning of a storage area for general waste. This area must be adequately ventilated, refrigerated... - Planning of a nursery on the ground floor at the disposal of clients. - Allow the most direct connection with the newly built underground parking. - In order to increase the existing facilities in the district, an expansion of the building must be planned, preferably on the top floors, in order to have enough space to build a multi-purpose room for citizen entities (with a capacity for approx. 75 people, i.e. approx.120 m2), a district youth centre (200 m2) and a small library (50 m2), providing all the required services to make use of these facilities.

Any individual or legal body having full capacity to act and being either an architect or a civil engineer may participate in the contest.

Due date for the submission of proposals:

The projects must be submitted within 60 calendar days as of the publication of the announcement in the BOIB. Once the period for the submission of proposals has expired, the Jury will choose the winning project within a period of 30 calendar days.