The last twenty-five years has seen the upper town of Gibraltar change from a dying out social hub to a completely run-down, dreary area of town with no cafes, shops or any life to speak of. Time was when bars, kiosks and stores were seen on nearly every corner brimming with customers. Children would play out on the streets; mothers would sit on the steps of the Calle Comedia chatting to their neighbours. People who recall those times speak lovingly of a community spirit: the street parties, the camaraderie and the fact that nobody had cars and therefore living in amongst those narrow streets never posed a problem.
The early ‘90s saw the penultimate exodus of the original old-town residents. Land was reclaimed from the sea on the west side of the Rock, people were offered the chance to buy a flat of their own on special 50-50 schemes cleverly organised by the Government, and they left in their droves. The elder generation who stayed behind soon found the abundance of steep hills and steps a chore as the years progressed, and gradually Gibraltar’s upper town became devoid of the vibrancy it once enjoyed. Over the years we have heard the phrases ‘urban renewal’ and ‘upper town regeneration’ bandied about with little effect, there was a literal mountain to climb and nobody wanted to buy in the old town because the area was so dilapidated. There was just so much housing stock still inhabited by Government residents and sitting tenants where Landlords could only charge peppercorn rents, so in-turn they never had the necessary funds to maintain their buildings. Subsequently the facades started to crumble along with the civic pride.
Recently there has been slow but positive change. Government built substantial rental stock on newly-reclaimed land at Coaling Island and resettled its own tenants into brand new accommodation leaving whole tranches of property available. These properties are gradually being put out to Government tender, with the proviso that the successful bidder can prove they have the funds to purchase and refurbish the entire property to a suitable standard within a 2-year time frame. These measures combined with a sensitive street-restoration program of cobble-stones, wrought iron railings, ornate lampposts and hanging flower baskets are making the area attractive to a new generation of buyers. 2013 saw the completion of the beautifully integrated Engineer Lane multi-storey car park with public lift & escalator service into the upper reaches of town, another incentive to relocate, and already the area around Castle Ramp, New Passage and Ansaldo’s Passage is starting to see green shoots of growth. The old St. Bernard’s Hospital is being completely renovated to house a new school and community playground, and a 9-room boutique hotel complete with a cafe-bar will open to the public at the end of this year. Government has just announced more properties available for tender so by the end of the decade the Old Town is set to witness a renaissance. One hopes that, much like Tangier and Tarifa, the arrival of the first boutique hotel will create a knock-on effect and soon there will be more cafes, shops and quaint flats for rent in Gibraltar’s heritage centre and return this neglected part of the city back to the vibrant core of yesteryear.
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