Setback for Collboni's project to restore the Capitol Theatre

BarcelonaOpposition dealt a blow to one of Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni's flagship projects. The Urban Planning Commission on Tuesday rejected the initial approval of the plan to reopen the Capitol Theatre on La Rambla under municipal ownership. In an unexpected defeat, the city government saw its opposition, fueled by votes against from Barcelona en Comú, Esquerra Republicana, and Vox, coupled with an abstention from Junts per Barcelona, ​​forced to return to square one and restart the project. The goal of the theatre raising its curtain again in September 2027 is now in doubt. Behind the city government's defeat are the doubts that the urban development project behind the Capitol's reopening has generated within Barcelona en Comú, Esquerra Republicana, and Vox. The key to the move was an agreement between the City Council and the real estate company Torcalena, which owns the theater and also the Telefónica building at Portal del Ángel, with access from 2 Fontanella Street. In exchange for ceding the theater to the council, the Telefónica building's zoning was changed from public facilities to mixed-use. This, according to the City Council's calculations, generated a capital gain of around 37 million pesetas, which materialized in the transfer of the Capitol building and also included the theater's renovation and the adaptation of the offices, to be carried out by Torcalena. The City Council's plan was that the offices of the Library Consortium would be moved above the theater—in the space formerly occupied by a now-closed guesthouse. The Intercontinental Hotel, located above the Capitol, would remain open.

The councilors from Comuns and Esquerra, Lucía Martín and Eva Baró, have both questioned the figures for the operation. Both Martín and Baró criticized the calculations made by the city council, arguing that they "undervalue the private profit." Specifically, Baró questioned the calculations being based on an office rent of 23 euros per square meter per month when, she said, the market price today is closer to 30 euros. This difference, they warned, could double the private capital gain. Martín considered the operation a "big shot"Urban planning.

With Junts abstaining –whose councilor Damià Calvet demanded the opportunity to contribute to the project to improve it–, the votes against from Barcelona en Comú and ERC left the decision in the hands of the PP and Vox. The Popular Party voted in favor of the plan and defended the importance of restoring this theater. The plan had 14 votes in favor, 11 abstentions, and 14 votes against." big shot Urban planning.

While conversations multiplied in the corridors of City Hall among the governing team in the face of the unexpected defeat, First Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet defended the figures for the project before the committee. She emphasized the benefits for the city of both reopening the Capitol Theater and housing offices for the Library Consortium, for which, she said, the City Council currently pays €200,000 in annual rent. Municipal sources explained to ARA that they maintain their objective of reopening the theater and that they will resubmit the project later.

Open to improving the Thyssen Museum project

Minutes later, the committee experienced a similar situation during the debate on a motion from Barcelona en Comú asking the municipal government not to proceed with the project to open the Thyssen Museum in Barcelona's former Cine Comedia. With Junts abstaining, Comuns and ERC voting in favor, and the PSC and PP voting against, the final result once again rested with Vox. In this case, however, the far-right party voted against the proposal, which failed to pass.

In response to the BComú and Esquerra groups and also taking into account the alert Following the recent review by the College of Architects, Bonet argued that the project "needs improvement and refinement" but "should not be halted." "There is still room to address concerns," said the Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, who explained that progress is being made between the initial and provisional approvals "towards a better architectural fit for the project." In this regard, she stated that it is necessary to "sit down and discuss the concerns and introduce the necessary changes."