The Ministry of Transport sent the draft agreement for the city's future Central Park to the Alicante City Council and the Generalitat this Wednesday. This project involves a global investment of 347 million euros and aims to transform the current railway line into a large green lung for Alicante's residents.

As explained by the head of Transport, Óscar Puente, on his social media account X, sending the draft agreement marks a new step in the processing of this urban development project, long awaited in the city. The document establishes the framework for collaboration between the Ministry, the regional government (Consell), and the City Council to develop the Central Park and reorder the railway surroundings.

Puente celebrated the progress, noting that with this move, his department fulfills the objective of promoting the urban transformation demanded by local institutions. He highlighted that it's about replacing an urban scar with the green lung that Alicante's residents deserve, referring to the current impact of the railway corridor as a physical barrier in the city.

Next, the minister announced, the Ministry of Transport will prepare an informative study to develop Alicante's future Central Park. This technical document will detail the solutions to materialize the project, indicative timelines, and necessary infrastructure actions, once the cost distribution among the involved administrations is finalized.

The sending of the draft constitutes, according to the state official's explanation, the initial impetus to define the working framework among the involved entities and advance the project's materialization. This opens a technical phase that will allow for refining the content and conditions for executing the Central Park.

The mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, confirmed the sending of the draft agreement in a meeting with the press following the inauguration of the Florentino Regalado footbridge. The mayor emphasized that the Central Park project is a crucial matter for the city and key to its urban future.

Barcala detailed that municipal technicians are already analyzing the proposal sent by the Ministry of Transport to formulate a joint response from the City Council. The goal is to arrive at the meeting of the society Avant, which involves the three administrations and is scheduled for next Wednesday, with a defined position.

The mayor explained that the draft agreement primarily addresses the distribution of costs among the parties. He indicated that the document approximates the cost equivalent for each party and how it is divided between the Ministry, the Generalitat, and the City Council, which will clarify each institution's financial contributions.

When asked by journalists if dividing the project into blocks could speed up its execution, Barcala argued that the council's position is that the agreement should reflect that financing and execution must be complete, not in parts or by administration. In his view, an integral approach is preferable to ensure the completion of all planned actions and avoid fragmenting the Central Park's development.

Regarding the City Council's financial contribution, the mayor stated that the council will propose to the Ministry the possibility of articulating municipal financing extraordinarily through remaining funds, as initially suggested. According to Barcala, this formula would allow for fully covering the investment portion corresponding to the municipality.

The mayor insisted that 'we have the money' and emphasized that this option aims to ensure municipal financing is covered without further issues, so the City Council is not limited by its ordinary budget. This route, he added, would facilitate the city's ability to meet its financial contribution as soon as possible.

Barcala expressed optimism about the agreement's processing timeline, assuring that this convention will be ready for signing much sooner than expected. He believes that the Ministry's draft submission and the ongoing work by technical services will accelerate the process, allowing the final document to be signed once consensus is reached among the three administrations.

The Alicante Central Park project is part of the railway integration efforts in the city and the recovery of spaces for public use. Similar initiatives have been developed in other Spanish municipalities, and in Alicante's case, the plan is for the future park to become a large green area connecting neighborhoods currently separated by the tracks.