Palma City Council has approved the initial plans for the long-awaited El Tirador urban park project, paving the way for the restoration of the historic velodrome and surrounding grounds. The scheme, backed by a €3.6m investment, was approved by the council’s governing board on Wednesday, with final approval expected before the end of the year and construction due to begin in early 2027.
The redevelopment will transform the former El Tirador site — closed and abandoned since 1973 — into a large public urban forest while preserving key heritage elements, including the historic Templete building and cycling track, both protected as cultural assets.
Mercedes Celeste, spokesperson for Palma City Council, described the project as one of the city’s most significant urban regeneration initiatives. She said the plans would deliver environmental, social and urban benefits by recovering a neglected site and opening it to residents as a major new green space.
The project aims to extend Palma’s existing green corridor by linking Parc de Sa Riera with Passeig Mallorca and improving connections between surrounding neighbourhoods. Plans include new pedestrian access routes, landscaped walkways, recreational areas and two footbridges connecting the park with the nearby Canódromo park.
The 22,300 square metre site will include almost 12,000 square metres of green space, accounting for more than half of the total area. Alongside the restored velodrome, the park will feature a central public square, leisure and sports facilities, children’s play areas and a large naturalised woodland designed to boost biodiversity and strengthen Palma’s wider green infrastructure.