Dec 11 - Theatre Royal Park Launched as Urban Renewal Project Spreads Across Governor's Parade
After three years of work in the heart of the Town, the former site of the Theatre Royal was opened today by Minister’s for Environment and Technical Services, Dr. Cortes and Paul Balban.
The park is phase 1 of the Government’s Urban renewal scheme to open up this part of the town. The next phase will see work continue across Governor’s Parade, past the Eliott Hotel and towards St. Andrew’s Church. The area will be opened out and include seating spaces and greenery, as the Theatre Royal Park does. Architect for the project, Carl Viagas explained that although the creation of a beautiful urban recreational site in the area of the current Eliott Hotel car park, will mean the loss of parking spaces, the areas gains more than double the spaces in the underground parking beneath the Theatre Royal Site.
Mr. Viagas praised the construction team for successfully carrying out a major engineering task directly in the middle of town, with minimum disruption caused during the two years of development. The excavation of the underground parking involved the removal of 6000 tonnes of rubble. 
The landscaping for the project was headed by Alameda Gardens director Dr. Keith Bensusan, who played a major role in the development of the Commonwealth Park also. Mr. Viagas noted that the lighting in the area had been specially designed to create ‘a certain magic at night’. The tender for works on phase two has gone out, with the project looking to commence early in 2015.
When questioned on retaining the antiquity of the original Theatre Royal site, Mr. Viagas pointed to the back wall of the park. ‘if there is no requirement to remove some of these elements, I think there is a magic behind exposing them. In this particular case many of the elements were removed and what remained was stabilized. The contrast between what is the original brickwork and stonework and the new elements play very well on each other.'
Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Cortes noted that the Government hoped people would come to use the open space ‘to get away from the bustle of Main Street and generate activity in the heart of the city.’ He thanked many that had contributed to the project and paid homage to local construction company Wilkie Ltd Director, as this was his last project before retirement.
A permanent interpretation detailing the life of the hugely popular former Theatre Royal will be erected at the site to remind people ‘what the Theatre Royal was and what it meant to Gibraltar for many many decades.
