Upgrades start at la Mola's church square

Foto obres placa la molaYesterday at 7.00pm neighbours in la Mola gathered in Casa del Poble to hear about the nearby projects in the works in the months ahead. The president of the Formentera Council, together with the rest of the administration's cabinet of senior councillors, detailed the plans for upgrades on the town square and took stock of the bids to rebrand la Mola's lighthouse as a cultural centre and revamp a local thoroughfare, carrer Àngela Ferrer.

Infrastructure secretary Rafael González reported that today would see the start of construction at the plaça de l'Església (“church square”). Rather than modify the overall look of things, González said the changes would include new pavement, lighting and dry stone walls. The upgrades will cost €50,000 and must be completed in one month.

González also held up improvements scheduled on carrer Àngela Ferrer for early 2018, an effort he said would include burying overhead utility cables and street upgrades. Council staff will benefit from outside assistance in overseeing the project, whose final budgeting is pending the go-ahead from Gesa and Telefónica to bury utility lines.

La Mola lighthouse
The Council's deputy chairwoman and culture secretary, Susana Labrador, gave details about the project to makeover the far (lighthouse) in la Mola. Plans entail reforming the lighthouse's ground floor and entrance in an effort Labrador said was aimed at turning the monument into “a bastion of culture”.

In addition to an interpretative centre for la Mola's and other lighthouses on Formentera, the revamped ground floor will house a museographic collection on the local maritime patrimony and a multipurpose space for cultural events like exhibitions, concerts, conferences, recitals and stage productions. In addition to a welcome area, toilets and storage spaces, the lighthouse will feature, at its entrance, a patio for open-air events both cultural and educational in nature.

The order to execute the €765,550 project will be made when members of the Council meet in plenary this Friday. Crews will begin work in December and have nine months to conclude. The remodel is possible thanks to an easement agreement between the administration and the Balearic port authority.