From Bustle to Silence: Alicante's Diputación Area Loses Its Commercial Pulse

Previously, the street was bustling with life; now, fewer people pass by. This is the consensus among shops and restaurants in the Diputación area of Alicante. The administrative centre, which includes the provincial building and services for Social Security and Traffic, grew and thrived in the shadow of the surrounding institutions.

Large bars, once ready for the lunchtime rush, now display plates and coffee cups waiting on the counter. Shops that flourished thanks to the long queues of citizens waiting their turn, often used the opportunity to visit Traffic, renew glasses, buy shoes, or get a manicure while someone held their place.

All of that is now part of the past, and the new times have inadvertently swept away some of the liveliest commercial streets in the centre.

The block formed by San Juan Bosco, Tucumán, and Catedrático Ferre Vidiella streets no longer resembles what it was before the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Since Covid, we have never regained the previous activity," explains Fini from Damas bakery. The virus is not as much to blame as the changes it triggered in administration and work habits. "Many bars here thrived on people waiting and also on office and workplace lunches. Now, with appointment-only systems and remote work, our sales have drastically dropped," admits Miguel Ángel from Strike Comedy Pub.

The consequences are clear: up to a 30% reduction in business, lower profitability, and layoffs in these establishments. The worst part is the outlook that the situation will neither change nor improve. "This area has become somewhat deserted. Fewer people pass by, and those who lived in the apartments are passing away, turning them into holiday rentals. At this rate, all businesses will close and turn into apartments," laments Javier from Conde Lumiares Optics.

For Gema, from El Paso Fino bar-restaurant, the solution lies in reversing changes like the appointment-only system, which she believes does not fully benefit citizens. "If you have an emergency, there's no way to access administration without those appointments, which sometimes are scheduled weeks later. People used to wait, but they were happier: they could stop, have a sandwich or coffee, and shop. Now they arrive sad," she reflects. Therefore, she proposes eliminating the appointment system or at least limiting it.

If the situation persists, these businesses are doomed to close. All have had to reduce staff after the pandemic, leaving only the owners working or, in some cases, a single employee. Many are nearing retirement and acknowledge that when the time comes, they will likely close their doors for good.

A few blocks from Tucumán Street, Maisonnave pulses with the rhythm of hundreds of hearts walking along the avenue. The shops in that area remain vibrant, the streets lit and bustling, as the Diputación streets once were. A glorious past that shopkeepers know will not return, but which they are not ready to completely abandon. Hence, they call for a commercial revitalisation plan to bring life back to this part of Alicante.