Alex Trelinski
DENIA will have a new cultural centre on the top floor of what used to be a Cooperative warehouse owned by the Manchester-based retailer.
It originally stored Valencian raisins for export from the port to London and Liverpool, and was built in 1910 on the city’s Plaza del Convent.
The grandparents of the current owners- the Marti family- bought the business from the Co-op after the Civil War.
The raisin trade had gone into decline and so they concentrated on storing other export products like peanuts and oranges.
The business closed in the late sixties but the ground floor of the building known as ‘Magatzem dels Anglesos’ has been home to many outlets over the decades.
Denia council has now struck a deal with the Marti family to rent the top floor for 25 years for cultural use.
The space covers 1,080 square metres and the intention is to maintain the look from its days as a raisin warehouse with its original ceiling of iron and wood beams.
Denia mayor, Vicente Grimalt checked out the area with four members of the Marti family in addition to culture councillor, Raul Garcia de la Reina.
“This building bore important witness to a splendid time for the city and the soon-to-be drafted restoration project will preserve everything,” said Grimalt.
Part of the centre will feature a display dedicated to the raisin trade, while the rest of the room will host conferences, events, and exhibitions.
