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The Catalan Government Predicts Property Sales Of Around €130 Million Before The End Of The Year

12/08/2014 – Europa Press

During 2014 it wants to find the future headquarters of the Department of Economy

The Generalitat, Government of the autonomous region of Catalonia, intends to complete property sales amounting to some 130 million euros before the end of the year in order to meet the objective of earning income of €400 million during 2014, of which it has already achieved €266 million up to July with the sale of 17 buildings.

That is what the general director of Patrimonio, Salvador Estapé, has explained in an interview by Europa Press, indicating that in this second half year “smaller transactions rather than sales of large buildings” are expected, and in the Catalan capital in any case.

The exception with regards to important buildings is that of the Barcelona Stock Exchange, for sale since 2011 – first as part of a batch of properties and then separately – and valued then at €57,4 million. Its sale remains one of the objectives of the Catalan Government, although the intention is to be able to sell it empty.

Relocation of the Barcelona stock exchange

This requires an agreement with the Barcelona Stock Exchange, which has the right to use the current facilities until 2030, to get it to relocate; they are currently in talks, but still without any agreement reached, according to both parties.

“It is the most important asset. Our wish would be to be able to sell it because it is very well situated and it would contribute to the sales plan” confirmed Estapé.

Sources from the Barcelona Stock Exchange have explained to Europa Press that they have “a relationship of maximum collaboration with the Generalitat” although finding an alternative place is difficult.

“It is in a study and analysis phase, because the Stock Exchange has an infrastructure which is not typical, with telecommunications and computer systems which are not easy to move; it’s complicated”, they added.

The Generalitat also has for sale the old building of the Department for Work (Conselleria de Trabajo), in Barcelona’s Sepúlveda street, which has also been available for sale for years.

Concentration

Estapé has highlighted the Catalan Government’s objective to “work towards greater centralisation and to avoid the dispersion and fragmentation of spaces” in the administrative departments of the Generalitat.

He has added that the plans for centralisation are not changed by the fact that virtually no offers were received in response to the first tender held to lease a building of between 20.000 and 35.000 square metres, in order to relocate the Department of Economy – whose headquarters in the Barcelona’s Rambla Catalunya had been sold – and other departments.

On this point, he has explained that during this second half of the year they would like to find a place where the headquarters of the Department of Economy will be located by two years from now, when the maximum deadline for the move will end: “There is still time, but time passes quickly.”

The rationalisation plan approved by the Catalan Government also foresees the “clustering” or grouping together in one area of the headquarters of some entities, such as the autonomous region’s public authorities.

In this way, they could be concentrated close to the Generalitat, in Barcelona’s old town, and the Tax Office of Catalonia and the Institute of Statistics of Catalonia (Idescat) could also change location in order to improve their financial performance.

Original article: Europa Press
Translation: Aura REE