The renovation of Barcelona's Plaza Reial is taking its time.

BarcelonaMore than forty years have passed since the last major renovation of Barcelona's Plaça Reial. At first glance, one can observe signs that corroborate this passage of time. This is evident in the nets to prevent detachment that adorn several balconies and the ornaments of some of the buildings overlooking the square. Also evident is the state of the porches and some facades, which are crying out for an overhaul.

For now, however, the updating of this emblematic corner of Barcelona will have to wait. Last April, the City Council of the Catalan capital announced its intention to promote a facelift of this space as part of the renovation of the Rambla. The goal was to begin work by 2025, but right now, that scenario is far off.

The council's plan, explained at the time by the chief architect, Maria Buhigas, was to have the entire project on track by 2024 so that work could begin this year. However, to achieve this, it was first necessary to reach an agreement with the 117 apartment and commercial owners in the square. A year later, and despite three information sessions held with residents and businesses in the square, that agreement has yet to be reached.

In these three sessions—two with the square's restorers and one with the apartment owners—the two main difficulties of the renovation process emerged: who will pay the cost and how, and how it can be carried out without seriously affecting the square's leisure and dining options. These doubts prompted the City Council to take a hiatus that has now lasted more than six months.

Municipal sources explain that, while the best way to combine the restoration work with the renovation of the square is being analyzed, a project has also been requested to establish a "precise" cost for the various actions that must be carried out with the renovation. Once this detail is confirmed—for which there is no timetable—talks will resume with residents and merchants. However, all of this calls into question the prospect of having the square renovated during this term.

The remodeling proposed by the City Council affects 23 properties and will involve the restoration of all the facades and the area below the porches of the square—facades listed as protected as B for local interest—and its two main entrances: Calle Colón and Pasaje Madoz. The objective is to restore the original appearance of the square, built in 1848—one year after the inauguration of the Liceu—on the site vacated by the former Caputxins convent.

The City Council's initial proposal to try to convince the owners was for the City Council, through the signing of an agreement, to assume all the bureaucratic burden of the works, thus facilitating the entire project to be carried out uniformly. Regarding financing, the council planned to subsidize up to 45% of the renovation cost, with a maximum of €50,000 per façade, while the remainder would be covered by each property through installments. In total, the council estimated a need to invest approximately €3.2 million.

A diverse square

One of the difficulties facing the City Council's process is having to reach an agreement on a square with a very diverse composition. Commercial premises aside, as the council explained at the time, Plaça Reial is home to everything from vertical properties—a single owner of an entire building—to condominium associations, as well as hotels, tourist apartments, and offices.

As for the commercial premises in the square, the vast majority of which are related to leisure and catering, they had already expressed their misgivings about the City Council's renovation project. In this case, it was because they feared that some of the premises would have to suffer the scaffolding—which would be erected and dismantled in phases so as not to affect the entire square at once—during peak tourist seasons.