A new campaign has been launched in Ibiza against the proposed relocation of the Mercat Nou, with residents calling for the future market to remain on its current site rather than being moved to the Parc de la Pau.

The citizen platform “No al cambio de ubicación del Mercat Nou” presented a manifesto on September 11 and began collecting signatures against the project.

At the same time, the public consultation on the proposed Mercat Ciutat d'Eivissa is entering its final stage, with more than 30 individuals and organisations having already submitted comments or proposals.

Residents Want the Market to Stay

The platform opposing the relocation argues that the current location is already well established and suitable for a municipal market.

Its proposal is to demolish the existing building and construct a new market on the same site rather than transferring the facility to the Parc de la Pau.

The residents argue that the Mercat Nou should continue to function not only as a place to buy food, but also as a social meeting point for the surrounding neighbourhood.

They have also criticised what they describe as an excessive commercialisation of the new project, arguing that the city already has sufficient commercial activity in the area.

Concerns Over Traffic and Parking

One of the main objections focuses on mobility.

The platform argues that moving the market to the Parc de la Pau could bring increased traffic, noise and pollution to the area.

Residents are calling instead for a city in which private cars play a smaller role, with more emphasis placed on pedestrian areas and green space.

The planned underground car park has also become a central point of criticism.

The project includes a three-level underground parking facility beneath the new market, while the environmental group GEN-GOB has highlighted concerns about the scale of the proposed parking infrastructure and its possible impact on the surrounding buildings and urban environment.

The Project Has More Than 30 Public Contributions

The controversy comes as the public-exposure period for the future Mercat Ciutat d'Eivissa approaches its final days.

According to the Ibiza Town Hall, more than 30 individuals and organisations have already submitted contributions.

The administration says all of the proposals will be examined before the project continues through the next stages of its processing.

The consultation gives residents and organisations the opportunity to make observations on the plans before the final project advances.

What the New Market Would Look Like

The municipal proposal is substantially larger and more modern than the current market.

The future Mercat Ciutat d'Eivissa would include 75 commercial stalls, compared with 131 at the existing Mercat Nou.

Although the number of stalls would fall, the total sales area would increase from approximately 850 square metres to around 1,000 square metres, allowing individual businesses to have larger spaces.

The project would also significantly widen the internal circulation areas.

Existing corridors of approximately 2.4 metres would increase to around four metres, with the aim of improving accessibility and making movement through the market easier.

More Storage and New Uses

The project also includes additional facilities that do not currently exist on the same scale.

Around 30 storage units would provide approximately 440 square metres of space, while the market's refrigerated storage capacity would increase from around 360 to approximately 400 square metres.

Plans also include new areas dedicated to restaurants, complementary activities and the wider activation of the building.

The proposal provides around 2,318 square metres of terraces and public-use areas, together with another 1,900 square metres for complementary activities.

The Current Market Site Would Become Green Space

One of the Town Hall's key arguments in favour of the relocation is what would happen to the existing Mercat Nou site.

Once the new market is operational, the current location could be transformed into a larger green and public space connected with the Parc de la Pau.

The municipality says the project would also allow surrounding streets to be reorganised and certain areas to be “pacified”, with clearer separation between vehicles and pedestrian spaces.

The city therefore presents the proposal not simply as the construction of a new market, but as a broader transformation of the surrounding urban area.

GEN-GOB Also Opposes the Proposal

The environmental organisation GEN-GOB has separately submitted objections calling for the project to be withdrawn.

It has argued that the planned development is oversized and inconsistent with objectives such as reducing traffic, improving environmental quality and creating a more pedestrian-friendly city.

The organisation supports rehabilitating or rebuilding the market on its existing site instead.

Its position broadly aligns with the concerns raised by the new residents' platform, particularly regarding traffic, parking and the future use of the existing market location.

A Debate Over Ibiza's Future Market

The disagreement is ultimately about more than where the market will stand.

The Town Hall argues that the existing building has reached a point where a definitive modernisation is needed and that the new project would create a more accessible, functional and commercially viable facility.

Opponents believe the same objectives could be achieved by rebuilding on the current site while avoiding the construction of a new large underground car park and reducing the impact on another part of the city.

Both sides therefore present the future market as an important urban project, but they have very different ideas about how it should be delivered.

Public Consultation Now Nearing Its End

With more than 30 contributions already submitted, the consultation has become an important stage in the dispute.

The Town Hall will now analyse the proposals and objections received before continuing with the administrative process.

Meanwhile, residents opposed to the relocation have begun their signature campaign, seeking to increase public pressure for the project to be reconsidered.

For Ibiza Town, the Mercat Nou debate is becoming a wider discussion about urban planning, mobility, public space and the role of traditional markets in a changing city.