Palma invests nearly €75,000 in sports centers – is that enough for the problems?

Palma invests nearly €75,000 in sports centers – is that enough for the problems?

Guiding question: Does a one-time expenditure of around €74,700 cover the real renovation and safety needs in Palma's municipal sports facilities — or is the city merely treating the symptoms?

Early on Tuesday morning, when the garbage truck is still rattling past Avinguda d’Argentina and joggers are taking their first laps around the Plaça de Cort, you realise how important functioning sports facilities are for the neighbourhood. Children with wet hair coming from the David Muntaner community centre are disappointed when there is no water. Older women who have been doing aquagym for years ask in the changing room whether they will soon be able to swim safely again.

Fact: According to a statement, Palma's municipal sports office (IME) has invested almost €74,700 in three municipal facilities. A new 4,000‑litre water tank was installed in David Muntaner; in Es Vivero and Toni Pizá the old hot water systems were replaced with new units. That sounds like maintenance and modernization — and in part it is. Technology that reliably provides hot water and large tanks that ensure constant pressure are important for daily sports operations.

But the problem runs deeper. In the Germans Escalas sports centre the indoor pool remains closed; both the pool basin and the ceiling require comprehensive refurbishment. A closed swimming area is not just a loss of convenience. Gaps arise for swimming lessons, therapies and local clubs that cannot be filled by a new tank or new boilers in other centres.

Critical analysis: The investment appears piecemeal and reacts to specific technical faults. But a sustainable strategy would need to be more: a prioritisation list, transparent cost estimates and a timetable for larger interventions such as the pool refurbishment in Germans Escalas. Public funds are limited; therefore it is necessary to clearly state whether the €74,700 is part of a larger maintenance plan or individual patchwork repairs within the broader €624 million investment package.

What is missing from the public debate: On the one hand, figures for long-term budget planning for sports infrastructure. When was the last inventory of the city's sports facilities carried out? On the other hand, there is a lack of open dialogue with user groups. Swimming clubs, physiotherapists, parents of children in courses — they know the consequences of a closure best and could help set priorities.

An everyday scene from Palma: In the morning at Es Vivero an elderly lady carries the shopping bags while her grandson practises on the climbing frame next door. The new hot water system ensures that the showers are warm again; she says, "Good that at least that works." At the same time, the corner across the way remains dark because the barrier around the Germans Escalas pool has blocked the view for months and the hall lights, which are like escalators, only burn dimly.

Concrete solutions without wasting much bureaucracy:

1) Public inventory and priority list: The city should briefly and publicly explain which facilities are in what condition, which immediate measures are necessary and which projects are planned. A simple traffic‑light system (green‑yellow‑red) would help.

2) Short-term replacement offers: For the period while the Germans Escalas pool is closed, temporary solutions could be considered: cooperation with private pools, extended hours in other municipal pools or temporary above‑ground pools for children's courses — cost‑conscious and time‑limited.

3) Bundled investments with energy efficiency: When old hot water systems are replaced, this should be combined with measures to save energy (heat recovery, solar thermal, better insulation). This pays back the expenses and reduces running costs.

4) User involvement: User advisory boards in each sports centre could make suggestions and help with scheduling. Volunteer clubs are often willing to assist with smaller maintenance tasks.

5) Transparent financing: If larger refurbishments are pending, the city should disclose whether funding, grants or EU programmes are being considered, and whether alternative income streams such as beach usage revenues are being earmarked. That reduces mistrust among the population.

Pointed conclusion: The almost €75,000 is not a mistake — it fixes concrete technical defects. But it is also no substitute for a strategic renovation plan. Whoever invests in Palma's sports infrastructure must see the bigger picture: user needs, follow‑up costs and timetables for larger interventions. Otherwise it remains a game of patchwork: warm water in some places, barriers and disappointed families in others.

And one last practical thought: If the city communicated its measures and priorities more clearly, the early morning runs on the Paseo Marítimo would no longer sound like a vigil for missed opportunities — but rather like the quiet accompaniment of a community that knows where it wants to go.