The Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council has announced the progressive reopening of the Judimendi Civic Center, closed for renovations for over a year. Initially, a significant portion of activities will resume, with the rest gradually being reinstated as further work within the building progresses. This news comes on the same day that the councilor for Civic Centers, Miren Fernández de Landa, confirmed the complete closure of the Aldabe civic center.
The council anticipates that the main renovation work will be completed in the first week of September. Following this, cleaning, building inspections, and preparation for the return of activities will take place in time for the start of the next academic year.
Renovations at Judimendi began on June 2nd of last year, with the building closing 21 days later. The initial phase of reopening will see the return of sports activities in the gyms and the multi-sport court. Sports equipment reservations, space allocations for schools, and the playroom with all its activities will also be reinstated.
However, the swimming pool, libraries, study room, and classroom-based cultural activities will have to wait. The City Council decided to use the closure period for additional works, including the renovation of the swimming pool changing rooms and a new citizen service office. These services are expected to reopen gradually, with the aim of having the center almost 100% operational by January.
Councilor Miren Fernández de Landa explained that the noise and disruption from ongoing works make an earlier reopening of these services unfeasible. The basic social services will continue to operate from the Arana Civic Center, as a larger expansion and improvement project is planned for Judimendi, budgeted for 2027.
The Judimendi renovation focused on three key areas: reducing energy consumption, enhancing safety, and improving accessibility. According to the City Council, the reform is expected to reduce non-renewable primary energy consumption by over 40%. Fire safety improvements and enhancements for user comfort have also been implemented. The councilor emphasized that, after 36 years of use, Judimendi will offer a superior service upon completion of the entire process.
The City Council will provide further details on the phased reopening of Judimendi at the upcoming auzogune (neighborhood meeting), where the organization of each service's return and the projected timelines will be explained.
