Why it matters

Originally a tent camp for workers who helped build the Dar El Baida port starting in 1907, and later a collective housing area established from 1952, the Carrières centrales, located in the heart of the historic Hay Mohammadi neighborhood, have evolved over the years to meet the needs of residents from various rural regions of Morocco.

Between 2014 and 2018, this historic neighborhood of struggle and resistance was demolished as part of the « Cities Without Slums » program launched by King Mohammed VI in 2004.

What will be done

The site is set to become the largest national park in the kingdom. Covering over 36 hectares, it will have three main entrances located along Boulevard Ali Yata, Avenue Ibn Zair Abdessalam to the west, and Avenue Abdelkhalek Torres to the southeast. A 10,000-square-meter public underground parking facility is also planned for park visitors.

The western area of the park will feature over 23 hectares dedicated to sports, games, and leisure activities. This section will include football and basketball fields, as well as a skate park, according to exclusive sources consulted by TelQuel

The western area of the park, along Ibn Zair Abdessalam Avenue, will feature over 23 hectares dedicated to sports, games, and leisure activities. This section will include football and basketball fields, as well as a skate park, according to exclusive sources consulted by TelQuel.

The heart of the park will host the City of Music and an outdoor theater, covering 5,000 and 3,800 square meters respectively. These will be the main structuring facilities of the site. Along the diagonal running through the park, there will be the Hay Mohammadi Memorial and various pavilions, including information points and dining areas, covering a total area of about 1,900 square meters.

The park will also feature a large natural area of 14 hectares, with a pronounced elevation difference to the east, allowing for the creation of a vast wooded area below, accompanied by a central water basin of 2,600 square meters. Finally, the southern façade of the park will include a zone of buildings of varying heights (from R+1 to R+4), intended for tertiary activities and commercial use.

Who is in charge

This project will be overseen by the Société de Développement Local (SDL) Casablanca Baïa, which is in the process of finalizing the bidding documents. The architectural design has been entrusted to architect Tarik Oualalou.

Written in French by Younes Saoury, edited in English by Eric Nielson