The General Directorate of the Coast and the Sea of the Government of Spain finalize the bidding, with an exit budget of €1,822,000of the demolition works of the old and abandoned pool of the waterson the coast of San Juan de la Rambla. If nothing goes wrong, in the next few days the works could be definitively awarded to one of the two bidders who opt for the contract. The removal of this pool, closed since 2010began to be raised in 2006, but it was not until 2017 when it became clear that this sports and leisure facility would disappear from the map later than soon.
When demolishing the pool was first discussed 17 years ago, an alternative was put on the table for this corner of the north coast: a sandy beach 250 meters long and 30 wide that Costas intended to create in the area at a cost of almost 5 million euros. That project never came to fruition. it’s definitely ruled out and now all that remains is to demolish the old pool to try to recover part of the original configuration of this coast and a small promenade. At the moment, there is only a budget for the first phase: demolish, remove all rubble, secure the area and improve the current access to the small pebble cove and some sand that exists next to the building.
After years of abandonment and a bad image, the ramblero mayor, Ezequiel Dominguez (PSOE)celebrates this progress: «If everything goes well, on January 19 We will know the company that will be the winner to start phase one, which is demolition of the pool and the expansion of the accesses to Las Aguas beach.” A relief because it will end a situation that, in his opinion, is “regrettable”.
The municipality of San Juan de la Rambla will eliminate, with state funds, a dilapidated building on its coastline, although it will not recover any facility that generates economic resources and attracts visitors as in its best days that pool, which was equipped with a restaurant, solarium, changing rooms and kioskin the middle of Las Aguas avenue.
The ramblero mayor has made it clear in the past that this demolition of the pool and annex building is only the first step, the first piece of a puzzle that provides for the improvement and pedestrianization of the Las Aguas coastal walk; the creation of a new street and more parking lots to improve communications in the neighborhood; the demolition of another building in a dilapidated state that affects the first line of the avenue, and the improvement of the accesses to the sea to be able to safely enjoy this part of the coast.
The municipal facility was closed in early 2010 with demolition plans confirmed in 2017
Gone are the times when people aspired to a new beach or to recover the swimming pool. A rehabilitation that had to be discarded from 2012, since the sea opened large sinkholes near the pool foundation and the entire structure, also damaged by corrosion, lack of maintenance and vandalism, has since threatened to collapse in any storm.
If it had not been completely abandoned after its closure in 2010, perhaps it could have been recovered. However, Costas never showed real interest in maintaining the facility, as is now the case with the municipal swimming pool in the northern town of The Silosclosed since the summer of 2019. The idea of demolishing only the pool glass and preserving the annex building to create an interpretation center linked to the sea and the sea was also discarded. Site of Community Interest (LIC) Coast of San Juan de la Rambla, which protects the sea caves in the area and which was precisely the reason why the beach that was supposed to replace the pool was discarded. Now 1.8 million euros will be allocated to leave that space empty again.
