The Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility Commission has definitively approved the modification of the General Plan that affects the 'Cuatro Caminos Metro Park' area, the space where the old suburban train depots used to be located. The process must now face a final step in the ordinary session of the municipal plenary this month to receive its final approval. In this way, the initiative promoted by the area headed by Borja Carabante responds to the situation of 443 families who have been waiting years for their homes.
The green light for this project will allow the city to recover an urban enclave near Cuatro Caminos with great urban development potential. The area will be transformed by eliminating the Metro depot on the surface and, with it, its strong negative environmental impact through its future undergrounding. The project will also involve the development of large public green areas.
Housing, offices, public facilities and green areas
The 'Cocheras Metro Cuatro Caminos' area covers a surface area of 43,250 sqm. Within the area there are two different zones. The first, with a surface area of 38,564 sqm, is located in the space previously occupied by the Metro installations and depots and where the new buildable area will be developed. The second area corresponds to the two portions of consolidated residential blocks - which will now be closed - and the section of Calle de Esquilache, with a total surface area of 4,690 sqm.
The new residential and tertiary uses are arranged around a large central green area. The subsoil underneath it will be used for railway transport, for the maintenance of the Metro depot. The newly created green areas and public open spaces will occupy more than 9,400 sqm.
The buildable area amounts to 59,586 sqm. Of the total residential buildable area, 10% is for housing, subject to a public protection regime, which means that, of the six plots dedicated to residential use, five will be for free housing and one for subsidised housing. The area is completed by two plots for offices and one for public administration use. The Madrid City Council will receive, as a result of this plan, a transfer of 5,485 sqm of buildable area for residential use and 472 sqm for tertiary office use.
The area will have a minimum of 1,050 parking spaces, of which 949 will be for residential and office use. The future Madrid City Council building will have a further 101 parking spaces.
Improvement of the surroundings and protection of the heritage
With regard to the improvement of the entire environment, a structure will be defined to connect the area with the urban fabric through three actions: Calle de Esquilache will be completed to connect Calle de Ramiro II with Avenida de la Reina Victoria; a public road will be opened to connect Calle de Bravo Murillo, Calle de Esquilache and Avenida de Pablo Iglesias, and Calle de Virgen de Nieva will be extended to connect Bravo Murillo with Esquilache.
The area is located within the surroundings of the 'Recinto de la Villa de Madrid', declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) in the category of Historic Complex. The drafting of this initiative has taken into account the protection of two buildings in Calle Esquilache (numbers 7 and 12), in addition to the special plan that affects the plot of the El Porvenir school (Calle Bravo Murillo, 85) with the aim of improving the environmental quality of the whole urban area and, in particular, the view of the school chapel from public spaces.
Based on the opinions of the commissions responsible for heritage protection, the cataloguing of three elements has been proposed: the mouth of the old metro tunnel that served as access to the tracks of lines 1 and 2, the enclosure of the Tuduri House and the side wall of the depot.