The government will demolish the Venus de la Mina building in 2028 and relocate the families to second-hand apartments.

Sant Adrià de BesòsThe Venus de la Mina building It now has a demolition date: in 2028, the machines will begin tearing down the iconic building that marked the transformation of this neighborhood in Sant Adrià de Besòs. Finally, the Generalitat The demolition has been advanced by two years and accelerates the relocation of the 244 families living there by purchasing second-hand homes instead of new ones, as initially planned.

The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, presented the neighborhood transformation plan this Wednesday morning. The plan, which will require an investment of 103 million euros by 2030, will also be funded by the city councils of Barcelona and Sant Adrià, the Barcelona Provincial Council, and the European Next Generation funds. Half of the budget will go to the actions surrounding the deteriorated Venus blockSince the first death sentence handed down to him in 2010, he has been living a life of limbo amidst the despair of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood transformation plan focuses on the social and urban rehabilitation of a border area burdened by the social stigma of crime and drug addiction, and which suffers from significant deficiencies in its social fabric. This includes the construction of a 66-unit social housing building on a plot of land located at the corner of Cristòfol de Moura and Venus streets, a new kindergarten, a day center and residential facility for the elderly, and the opening of a center for practicing martial arts. "La Mina will become the best neighborhood in the metropolitan area," declared the mayor of Sant Adrià, Filo Cañete.

Until that point, the government's idea was that the residents affected by the disappearance of the Venus mine could move into new homes by 2030, but, according to the Minister of Social Rights, Mònica Martínez Bravo, that was an unrealistic timeline because it wasn't possible to complete all the administrative processes to have the new developments ready.

The plan now involves purchasing 255 homes on the resale market, primarily within the neighborhood, because the families have expressed their desire to stay, and moving in gradually as they have everything ready. If they are unable to afford a mortgage, the La Mina Consortium will contribute a maximum of 48% of the cost and will become a co-owner of the property with the family.

In the last year, the Mina Consortium, which includes representatives from all levels of government, has already implemented the new strategy and acquired 40 apartments. It will close another 15 before the end of the year and has the process underway for 20 more. To expedite the inspection of the housing market in the neighborhood, two architects and two lawyers have been hired. To date, 37 families have left the building and have been rehoused within the same neighborhood. 25 have accepted compensationAnd about twenty more already have the keys to their new homes, but haven't moved in yet due to personal reasons.

Although it was the initial plan, the new social housing complex in Cristòfol de Moura will not be used to house the victims of the Venus building collapse. Instead, it will be open for applications, but the councilor has indicated that if these families express a desire to live there, one of the apartments will be reserved for them. The properties are expected to be completed in 2030. In the meantime, they will be moved to temporary apartments from the planned pool of second-hand housing.

Negotiations to leave

The negotiations to clear the building have been lengthy and remain costly, because a handful of residents have taken the demolition delays to court and are demanding further compensation to start a new life. After decades of promises in the neighborhood, they greet the new multi-million euro plan with skepticism.

"Until I see myself in a decent house, I won't believe anything," Toñi asserted in the plaza in front of the Venus building, oblivious to the words of Councilor Martínez Bravo, who insisted that for the first time a "realistic" plan is being presented, one that comes with a timeline and budget. "La Mina can't wait forever," she said.