Posted on: February 6, 2023, 11:40h.
Last updated on: February 6, 2023, 01:52h.
A decade after the government of Catalonia, Spain, presented the plans to build Barcelona World, a megacomplex that will see major participation by Hard Rock International, it’s finally moving forward. The autonomous region has accepted the project’s merits and begun to put it in motion. But that doesn’t mean it’s cleared all the obstacles in its path.
Last week, the Generalitat of Catalonia signed an agreement for its budget that includes provisions for the project to start construction during the first half of 2023. With the support of the Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC, for its Spanish acronym), the authorities agreed to get everything underway after the final approval of the Master Development Plan (MDP).
That last approval is where the project could still run into trouble. Environmental groups have fought previous versions of the MDP and are ready to fight the latest version as well.
Building on Three Pillars
Spanish media outlet La Vangardia stated that Barcelona World will include everything as initially planned. This includes a casino, hotels, recreational facilities, restaurants, and more. In addition, the land upon which the project will be built will be put into a separate government-led company.
Salvador Illa, first secretary of the PSC and head of Catalonia’s opposition, explained that the agreement reached with the government revolves around three pillars. These define the nature of the project and what Catalonia hopes to achieve, and include a “generation of prosperity, protection of citizenship, and transparency.”
The PSC has continuously fought for the project, which it expects to generate over €1 billion (US$1.07 billion) in investments and more than 13K jobs. That’s only for the groundwork.
The Hard Rock portion of the project estimates investments worth twice that amount. It includes the construction of a complex with 1,000 rooms, a casino, a shopping center, a 6,000-square-meter (1.48 acres) swimming pool, and space for concerts and other amenities.
In November 2021, during a plenary session of the Parliament of Catalonia, the government rejected a motion that sought to block the project. A group of legislators had pushed the government not to purchase the land, but it failed.
At the local level, the news has been received with great satisfaction by the mayors of Salou and Vila-seca, Pere Granados, and Pere Segura, respectively. They had been demanding that the government set a deadline for final approval of the modification of the MDP for months. Salou and Vila-seca are where the project will be located.
Catalonia’s Ministry of Climate Action, Food, and Rural Agenda reviewed the original MDP and determined that it didn’t meet environmental requirements. A new MDP was drafted. But environmentalists still argue that it doesn’t go far enough.
No Free Lunch
The Aturem Hard Rock platform, the main opposition group to the complex, announced that it will present a judicial appeal of the new MDP. This could still delay the project for a few more years.
The group is willing to use whatever tactics are necessary to block progress. This past Saturday, Hard Rock’s restaurant in the Plaza de Catalunya in Barcelona became the site of one of their protests.
Thirty people protested with banners and flares, and the establishment had to close its doors for a few hours. That was just the start of February’s protests. The activists have organized a series of activities for this month to show their opposition to the project.
