The meeting took place at the "Magda Godia" Senior Citizens' Residence and Day Center in Mequinenza
The central government, through the Just Transition Institute, and the regional government have financed, via the MINER Plan, the works which have involved an investment of 6 million euros in the building.
The Deputy Government Delegate in Zaragoza, Noelia Herrero, and the Director General of Energy and Mines for the Government of Aragon, Yolanda Vallés, accompanied by the Mayor of Mequinenza, Antonio Sanjuán, visited the Magda Godia Senior Citizens' Residence and Day Center. Construction of the building has been completed, and the official handover is expected shortly.
Construction began in 2008 but was halted in 2011 due to a lack of funding . The project was not resumed until August 2022, after the Aragon Mining Board approved its funding in 2017 through the MINER Plan. Following this agreement, the central government, through the Institute for Just Transition (ITJ), and the regional government signed an agreement allocating €6 million to finance the remaining work. This will allow the launch of a long-awaited and much-needed service in the municipality and its surrounding area, addressing the growing demand for care for the elderly.
During the visit, Antonio Sanjuán, the mayor of Mequinenza, conveyed to the representatives of the Spanish and Aragonese governments "the vision, hard work, and commitment of both governments to finally make the Residence a reality." He also emphasized the importance of implementing these services in rural areas "for their social and family implications, as well as for job creation," offering 78 residential places and 39 day center places, and generating 40 management positions.
The City Council reaffirmed its commitment to do everything possible to ensure the facility can receive its first users "as soon as possible" and asked both governments for the necessary support and commitment "to open before the end of the year." He acknowledged that achieving this goal will not be easy, "but we are ambitious and will do whatever it takes to try to achieve it; after so many years, we owe it to our elders."
