Barcelona buys El Ingenio and 49 other stores to boost quality commerce

El Ingenio, the shop on Rauric street founded in 1838 as a production center for big heads and giants by Benet Escaler, was seeing how time and changes in the city were shaking it. Twice he eluded the scythe of the clasp. The first, in 2016, when its now former owner, Rosa Cardona, He did not find someone to pass the baton to and he took goodbye for granted. The King of Magic set out to take on the challenge of maintaining the establishment but a year later it closed as well. In 2019 there was a last attempt, finally also unsuccessful.

Now the trade will become the Barcelona City Council, along with 49 other stores that are at street level in different districts of the city. And that will happen within the framework of an initiative announced in April by which the the consistory invests 16 million euros in 50 commercial basements in the 10 districts with a double objective: that they reopen their blinds, that is, to stimulate trade, so damaged by the pandemic, and that they do so with quality activities, of a varied type, yet to be determined. The measure is part of the ‘Amunt persianes’ plan, a strategy to support the commerce sector.

The deputy mayors Jaume Collboni and Jordi Martí explained this Wednesday the status of the plan, which is unprecedented in Barcelona: “Never before has a city carried out an operation with this ambition to purchase heritage & rdquor ;, Collboni assured. Martí has ​​reported that they have only found a similar case in Paris: “There the largest owner of bookstores is the city hall & rdquor ;, he has specified as an example.

Commercial gentrification

Reality has shown that there are activities that cannot compete with the income of a certain one-color trade in so many tourist cities, which is why they end up cornered or disappeared in some areas. It is the commercial gentrification that, Martí recalled, sometimes accompanies the neighborhood: the prices of an area rise, the neighbors can no longer afford to reside in it and are relieved by people with more economic capacity. Well, with the stores, the same.

The purchase operation of the 50 premises involves an investment of 16 million introduced in the budgets for 2021 through the agreement by which ERC supported those accounts. It is curious how in recent weeks several of these investments have been announced that arise from that pact with Ernest Maragall’s group just when its most angry members are with the government of Barcelona en Comú and the PSC. Within a week, the Republicans will vote in favor of other accounts, those of 2022, bound by the agreement that ERC closed with the ‘comuns’ on the Generalitat’s budgets. But that is another story.

contests

The city council will charge a rent lower than the market for the low in exchange for ensuring that the activity of the new business matches the aforementioned objectives. To choose the 50 ground floors purchased -which have been appraised and chosen but whose purchase-sale has not yet been formalized- a tender was opened for Ciutat Vella, with a budget of six million, and another for the rest of the city, of 10 millions. “Our fear was that no one would show up & rdquor ;, explained Martí.

The essential requirements: that the premises measure between 60 and 1,000 square meters, that they be accessible from the street, that they have no tenants and that they have a state of conservation that does not require a more than moderate investment to start up. A varied territorial distribution was also taken into account, and the districts were asked to indicate which areas were the highest priority for action.

It was determined that the purchase price would be a maximum of 10% above the property’s appraisal. A total of 88 stores were offered by owners. 28 were rejected for being outside the chosen areas, or for an excessive cost of rehabilitation, or for having an insufficient surface because the price was too much above the appraisal. Of the remaining 60, a score was made that allowed the 50 most suitable to be chosen.

Of the 50 premises, 10 are in Ciutat Vella, five in the Eixample, three in Sants, 16 in Les Corts (all in the same set), two in Gràcia, six in Horta, three in Nou Barris, one in Sant Andreu and four in Sant Martí. On average, they have 177 square meters and have cost 1,366 euros per square meter.

The second phase

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Now, during 2022, another contest will be opened to determine what activities correspond to the premises that will make up the municipal public stock exchange. According to the city council, they are expected to be related to local commerce and services, creativity, teaching and research, tertiary work, social facilities, logistics and business services, and social and solidarity economy.

An attempt will be made, the deputy mayors have reported, to achieve continuity with the past of some of the businesses as much as possible. For example, that the successor of El Ingenio turns out according to its history and its space. Regarding this business, Collboni has especially celebrated its acquisition: “This is great news. We have saved it & rdquor ;. And Martí has ​​guaranteed that its content will be preserved. The former owner, Rosa Cardona, attended the hearing.