Barcelona and the CZFB agree to buy Centre de la Vila and seafront venues for 97.3 million euros

Purchases approved at the consortium's plenary

The Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) approved the purchase of several seafront properties at its plenary session on Thursday, 12 November 2026, held at DFactory Barcelona. The package includes the Moda Shopping centre beside the Torre Mapfre in the Port Olímpic, several beachfront units used mainly as nightclubs and leisure venues, and the Centre de la Vila shopping complex in the Vila Olímpica district, for which the consortium authorised a binding offer. ABC and La Razón give 78.7 million euros for the seafront units and Moda Shopping and 18.6 million for the Centre de la Vila, which together make up the 97.3 million euros cited across the coverage. Europa Press reports 18.7 million and El Periódico 18.5 million for the Centre de la Vila, so the exact price of that deal is not settled in the reporting.

Centre de la Vila and the neighbourhood

The Centre de la Vila, which El Periódico says is owned by the public company Mercasa, went to auction in June and received no bids. Neighbourhood groups and opposition parties had long demanded that the public sector take it over, and the ERC leader on Barcelona's council, Elisenda Alamany, said her party had asked the city to buy it repeatedly since 2021. Alamany said she was very satisfied that the city is regaining control of the site and asked for the facility to serve the Vila Olímpica neighbourhood again. Jordi Martí, Junts president on the council and its candidate for the 2027 municipal elections, called the deal excellent news that ends years of neglect, and asked for a timetable of works and an urgent intervention on level -3 of the car park, whose state he described as entirely unfit for a facility of this kind.

Uses to be decided in 2027

Mayor Jaume Collboni presented the deal alongside Pere Navarro, the State's special delegate to the CZFB, and framed it in these terms:

“What we are doing, in short, is closing an important chapter in the transformation of the waterfront, and ensuring it is under public control, offering economic activity, leisure and culture.”

Navarro said the operation shows the consortium's willingness to keep expanding its contribution to the city. Both men said the decision to buy was taken on Thursday, but the public debate on the uses of the shopping centres and leisure venues will take place during 2027, and the venues will keep operating normally until then. EL PAÍS reports that the council had already said it wants to use the nightclub premises to expand the Institute of Marine Sciences of the CSIC, which already has a building in the area. El Periódico adds that under the two protocols the consortium would hold ownership as the main decision body on investment and works, with the council acting as a collaborator, monitoring commissions, and an initial term of four years from signing.

The consortium's 2027 budget

The plenary also approved the consortium's 2027 budget, which projects operating revenue of 85.7 million euros against an estimated 82.5 million for the close of 2026. The projected result for the year is 32.4 million euros, 1.6% above the closing forecast for 2026. Investments for 2027 are set at 110.4 million euros, with a large share going to expanding DFactory Barcelona from its current 17,000 square metres to about 60,000 square metres. The plan also covers the future DFactory Barcelona District, conceived as a hub for advanced industry and innovation. Among the projects approved is the public Espai Ona complex near Glòries, with 35,000 square metres built, of which 10,000 are for protected housing and 20,000 for administrative uses.

2026 (estimated close)82.5

2027 (budget)85.7

2026 (estimated close)

82.5 million euros

2027 (budget)

85.7 million euros

Data from the article text