The Tobacco Company is preparing for a second life

TarragonaThe machines are now ready to be reinstalled at the Tarragona Tobacco Factory and give a second life to this 68,000-square-meter industrial complex, which stopped producing tobacco in 2007. "When we have the building permit, we will move in as quickly as possible," Ferran Thomas, manager of the Universo Vira y Virgilio School (URV), told the newspaper ARA. Their intention is to begin teaching the Bachelor's Degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences in September 2026 in module 5 of the Tobacco Factory, and they are ready to begin construction. Tarragona City Council already approved in its last plenary session the awarding of the 40-year concession to EUSES for this module, in exchange for an annual fee of €212,300, which will be required after the 20th year. The university school has already submitted the basic project and is awaiting the City Council's approval of the building permit to begin the initial renovation and demolition work. At the same time, EUSES will also have to present the executive project for authorization of the entire planned transformation, but the works will have already begun. The mayor of Tarragona, Rubén Viñuales, is optimistic and assures that "the works will begin in March or, at the latest, in April."

The entire project envisions transforming the 3,124 square meters occupied by module 5. In this first phase, "the entire building envelope" will be remodeled, according to Thomas, as well as the ground floor and first floor. Since the approximately 120 students will be starting their first year, these two floors will be sufficient. The second and third floors will not be remodeled until next summer, to provide more space for the new students. This entire project will entail an investment of €3,696,089, which EUSES will assume.

First step in the transformation

Mayor Viñuales, who considers the revitalization of this industrial complex one of the most important projects of his term, is confident that the arrival of EUSES "will be the beginning of everything that the Tabacalera project should radiate." "It is a wonderful and magical place that the citizens of Tarragona should be able to enjoy," he adds.

After EUSES, it will be the turn of the Tarragona Provincial Council, which is already preparing the executive project to relocate the Music School and Conservatory, which is currently located in the upper part of the city, to the right wing of the Tabacalera, in a large warehouse occupying 6,000 square meters. The adaptation of the industrial warehouse to which the conservatory will be relocated has a cost of 11 million euros, which the Provincial Council will assume. Regarding the timeline, the basic project has already been completed, and now the executive project must be drafted. The aim of this institution, which is enjoying good financial health, is to settle the 2024 budget at the plenary session on March 27th and, at the following session, in April, to modify the 2025 budget to include an item that will allow for further progress on the relocation.

The relocation of the conservatory will have a major impact on Tabacalera: first, because it will bring dozens of students and teachers, and second, because it will be accompanied by the landscaping of the interior areas, a responsibility of the City Council, which owns the space. The City Council will also have to fence off the buildings that have not yet been renovated. According to Viñuales, both transformations will be carried out in parallel, "so that when the conservatory is finished, the common areas will already be landscaped, open, and ready to be enjoyed." The mayor hopes that this opening, which will usher in the second life of the Tobacco Factory, can take place between 2027 and 2028.

Another module already planned is the sixth, located between the one EUSES will occupy and the Tarragona Necropolis. This module will house the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC), currently located in Tarragona's Plaça del Fòrum. The ICAC is a public research center in classical archaeology created by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia) and the Rovira i Virgili University (URV), and with the move, it will triple its space to improve its research infrastructure. Being next to the Roman Necropolis will also help create synergies with another major project in Tarragona. "This project will unite both facilities through an open, open space that will connect Vidal i Barraquer Street with the ICAC," explains Viñuales, who wants the research center, despite being a workspace, "to be open to the public." Adapting module 6 for the ICAC's relocation will cost €5.3 million, which will be covered by the Generalitat (Catalan government) in exchange for the free transfer of the space by the City Council. The basic project has already been presented, and now it's the executive branch's turn.

Finally, journalists will also be among the new residents of the Tabacalera. Both TAC12 and RTVE will have their editorial offices and studios on the third floor of module 2, where the Municipal Archive is currently located.

No news from the library

The notable absentees from this second life of the Tabacalera are, for the moment, the Provincial Library and private initiatives. The Ministry of Culture has the mandate to build a large library in each district, and in Tarragona, as in many other provinces, this is still a pending issue. For years, there has been speculation about the possibility that this large facility, which would perfectly link to the new training and knowledge center that will give a second life to the Tabacalera, could be installed in the main hall. The library requires approximately 8,000 square meters, and this facility has more than enough. The fact that the Spanish government and Tarragona City Council are governed by the same party (PSC) could finally convince the State, but in recent visits to Tarragona by both the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, and the Spanish government delegate, Carlos Prieto, it has been impossible to secure this commitment. The absence of the library would be a major setback for the project. The president of the Tarragona Provincial Council, Noemí Llaradó, argued that "all steps must be coordinated" and concluded: "We can't imagine the Tobacco Factory project without the Provincial Library."

Some private-sector facilities would also help strengthen the project. According to Mayor Viñuales, this gap should be filled by the technology district they are promoting. "These types of companies want space, common services, and also something that, with all due respect, they don't have in Reus, which is to be within the urban environment. Here we are next to the Serrallo," Viñuales asserts. The companies that make up this district, which is still very green, could occupy spaces that are still vacant, such as warehouses 3 and 4, "but always under concession because this will always belong to the City Council."