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El Prat begins the long-awaited full renovation of the CEM Julio Méndez courts
The CEM Julio Méndez courts will be refurbished after 23 years of neglect. The City Council will invest more than €200,000. Works start in summer and promise modern facilities. Users expect the opening in September.
El Prat de Llobregat City Council has taken the final step to transform the outdoor multi-sport courts at CEM Julio Méndez, located on Carrer del Riu Guadalquivir. After more than two decades without significant interventions, the council has approved an ambitious refurbishment project that seeks to put an end to the serious structural and safety problems these facilities have carried since 2001.
The plan, with a budget of €208,217.22, responds to the urgent need to halt deterioration caused by intensive use by schools, clubs and residents. The refurbishment file is already on public display and awaiting final approval.
Municipal technical reports describe a worrying situation: cracks, potholes and, above all, the loss of the anti-slip properties of the surface, posing a risk to people playing sports such as basketball, futsal or volleyball.
The first phase of the works will focus on removing the old surface and dismantling the existing metal structures. Subsequently, the core of the intervention will be repairing the concrete slab and installing a new synthetic resin-and-rubber floor, designed to improve cushioning and grip, even in damp conditions.
One of the major challenges will be eliminating puddles. To do so, wider drainage channels and an underground collector will be installed. In addition, the perimeter of the courts will have new nylon ball-stop nets, supported by galvanised-steel posts up to 7 metres high.
Modernisation will also extend to sporting equipment. The current goals and baskets, which do not meet regulations, will be replaced by state-of-the-art models: adjustable mobile baskets for mini-basketball, new handball/futsal goals and volleyball posts with safety anchors.
The works timetable is designed to minimise disruption. Work will begin at the end of July, after the summer camps, and will continue for nine weeks. During August, the site will remain closed to the public to carry out the most intensive tasks.
The plan includes a 15-day curing period for the new synthetic surface. If there are no setbacks, the refurbished CEM Julio Méndez courts will open in September, just in time for the start of the school and sporting year.