The opening of a new Bilbao Metro line will divert trains to the old part of the city and Atxuri station will, consequently, no longer be used as a station. Concluding that the space being left empty offers chances to meet the neighbourhood needs, Lokomotorak has drawn up a list of possible new uses for the station in the near future.

The proposals and ideas collected will be passed onto the institutions in charge of the station so that the voice of those who live there is taken into account. In view of the closure of the station, locals are in favor of making it a public area for the neighbourhood.

Local people, social stakeholders and neighbourhood organizations, as well as school parents, have taken part in the project, and many residents of other neighbourhoods in Bilbao have also joined them in order to promote discussion about the social functions the train station should fulfill and to “make new proposals for the near future”.

Local people who have taken part in the dynamics have listed several possible uses for Atxuri Station: a public library, meeting and multiple-use rooms, a space that could include a covered square and a park. The possibility of giving a classroom in the building to the local García Rivero school, which has critical space issues, has also been put forward.

Everything gathered during the process has been compiled in a report which will be passed onto Bilbao City Council.

This article was translated by 11itzulpen; you can see the original in Basque here.