Collboni promises 260 million euros by 2031 to transform La Sagrera
The mayor wants the urban transformation to be completed by the time the station opens in 2032.
BarcelonaNow that the Sagrera railway project is entering its final phase, Barcelona City Council is accelerating the urban redevelopment of the surrounding area. This major redevelopment, as Mayor Jaume Collboni explained at a press conference this Wednesday, will allow for the construction of more than 11,000 new homes and connect two districts traditionally separated by the railway tracks—Sant Andreu and Sant Martí—with a large park. To this end, Collboni announced that the city council will allocate €260 million over the next five years. "We won't wait until everything is finished to start building the city," said the mayor, who explained that this Thursday he will approve the revision of the Sagrera Master Plan and the re-parceling of the different urban development plans during 2026. Trains have been running through Sagrera for a year now, although without stopping, and the plan is for the railway work—the concrete structure, the train tracks, the overhead lines, and the electrification elements—to be completely finished by the end of this year or the beginning of 2032. That is, to go from the current skeleton to a complete and finished station.
As NOW explained This Sunday, the Sagrera project is one of those opportunities that a well-established city like Barcelona has to grow. During his speech, Collboni insisted on refuting the idea that the city is finished and there is no more room for housing, and stressed that this project proves otherwise. "We still have room to build housing, green spaces, and amenities," the mayor argued.
The large linear park that will emerge from covering the railway tracks will bridge the historical boundary between the Sant Martí and Sant Andreu districts. Around this enormous green space, housing for more than 25,000 residents will be built, a population similar to that of the Horta or Sant Antoni districts. In total, Collboni explained that 11,347 new homes will be built around La Sagrera, 48.8% of which will be subsidized housing. In addition, there will also be 78,000 m² of hotel space – one of the new hotels will be built next to the station – and 250,000 m² of office space. According to city council estimates, all of this should help create more than 10,000 jobs. The plan also includes more than 200,000 m² of land for public facilities, some of which are already completed, such as the La Sagrera Municipal Sports Center.
Collboni also emphasized the key role the future Sagrera station will play in transforming mobility in the city and the entire metropolitan region. In addition to providing a new rail gateway to Barcelona beyond Sants, the station will be a major interchange. High-speed rail will connect with three commuter rail lines – R1, R2, and R11 – and three metro lines – L4, L9, and L10. There will also be an intercity bus station.
The city's largest park
The station—designed by B720 Arquitectura, the studio of Fermín Vázquez, the architect of the Agbar Tower, Alguaire Airport, and the new Camp Nou—will feature a large wooden pergola and a spacious intermodal yard as its most distinctive elements. It will be fully integrated into the expansive Camí Condal park—stretching over 4 kilometers—in the Sant Andreu and Sant Martí districts. This immense green space—the largest in the city—includes various areas such as a vast rose garden leading from the station towards the city center, a large fountain, and numerous shaded spaces. A small section of the southern end of this park, inaugurated a few months ago, is already open to the public, specifically the stretch from Torre del Fang to the Felip II Bridge. From there, the park is expected to extend almost to the Parc de la Trinitat.
The tram schedule is up in the air
During the question and answer session following the conference, the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, also spoke about the importance of the Catalan government's budget approval for some of the city's key projects. He stated that a budget failure is estimated to have an impact of around 250 million euros on Barcelona and could jeopardize projects such as the tram connection along Diagonal Avenue. He added that this project's timeline could be altered. Also during the question and answer session, Collboni was interrupted by a resident of Vallcarca affected by the Rambla Verda MPGM (Municipal Planning Instrument) who accused the municipal government of having "betrayed" them. the pact to open a mediation with the neighbors.