The nursery park

Since May 1987, when it was inaugurated, the neighbors and visitors of Marbella have been able to enjoy the Parque de la Constitución. Located north of the Paseo Marítimo, near the beaches of El Faro and La Fontanilla, it occupies the area of the former San Francisco forestry nursery, owned by Icona. During his stays in Marbella, the Minister of Labor José Antonio Girón de Velasco stayed in the house that existed there. Even before the arrival of democracy, the City Council aimed to build a public park on the site. This idea was firmly adopted during the municipal socialist government era. Negotiations for the transfer were not easy because it was granted to remain in forest use. It was carried out through an exchange with a green area in San Pedro Alcántara. The construction of the park met all expectations. Initially, one of the park's most emblematic and unique elements was not considered: the auditorium, which since November 2021 has been named after José Pernía Calderón, a socialist councilor from 1984 to 1991. This venue was a personal endeavor of Mayor José Luis Rodríguez. There is a preliminary project from January 1984 drafted by Grand States S.A., based in Atalaya de Río Verde, designed by Juan Manuel Vacas. The estimated budget was 108,950,000 pesetas, allocated for plazas and fountains, streets, auditorium, building for cafeteria, storage, and toilets, artificial lake, children's area, irrigation; plants, trees, and grass, lighting, and enclosing fence. Before this date, in 1980, a landscaping project for the area was carried out with a budget of 18,170,000 pesetas. The final project was drafted by the municipal services, under the coordination of engineer Díaz Fraga. The execution of the first phase of the Parque de la Constitución took place between February and December 1985, with an initial budget of almost 145,000,000 pesetas, of which more than 96 were allocated to the roadways, general urbanization of the enclosure, and gardening. Subsequently, an extraordinary budget was allocated for the enclosure. Regarding the auditorium, it cost almost 71 million pesetas and was urgently commissioned to architect José Luis Esteve Balzola in the regular session of the Government Commission held on November 11, 1985. The drafting of the project took a month. One of the essences of the Parque de la Constitución is its gardens and the varied plant and tree species it contains. The executed project belonged entirely to the City's Gardening Service. They divided the park's surface into six sectors, respecting the large avenues of cypresses that existed and other species planted around the old house of the nursery manager. The first area was framed within landscaping. The second was dedicated to children, with sandy areas and various devices for the little ones' games. It is divided into two levels. The third area is the largest and most regular frame of the park. The Gardening Service's report specified: "It is where we conceived the composition of a classic-style garden, albeit with certain irregular twists to walks and plazas. Nothing more appropriate for this layout than to frame within it a rose garden, in its central part, starting from a classic-style fountain in the center, which gives us the opportunity to place, around it, the different clusters of low rose bushes. Surrounding the central rose garden, we located various tree varieties: magnolias, chorisias bentrucosa, shrubs of different varieties, and several clusters of rose bushes." In the fourth area, five residential plazas were laid out, one central and four considerably smaller and curvilinear and irregular, located at the four corners and connected by irregular and sandy paths. A large green area surrounds the five plazas, mainly introducing shade trees like various types of ficus, magnolias, jacarandas, banana trees, etc. In the fifth area, some species typical of a botanical garden were placed. Initially, it was thought to locate large cages to contain parrots and other exotic birds. Two spaces were also considered for ducks and flamingos. Over the years, the Parque de la Constitución has had better and worse moments regarding its maintenance, but at the time, it provided an exceptional contribution to the list of urban green areas. Its auditorium frequently alleviated the lack of other scenic spaces and even served as a television studio. The Parque de la Constitución may continue to be an unknown enclosure for a large number of citizens.