Colau Convinces KKH To Abandon Luxury Hotel Project In BCN

2 October 2015 – Expansión

The real estate fund KKH, which owns the Deutsche Bank building in Barcelona, has agreed not to expand the property and convert it into a luxury hotel, as it had planned, after running into strong opposition from the new mayoress of Barcelona, Ada Colau.

The project has been affected not only by the moratorium imposed by Barcelona en Comú, but also by the fact that its suspension was one of Colau’s election promises.

KKH required permission from the Town Hall to demolish the building and construct a larger one, measuring 5,000 m2 more. In exchange, it has agreed to purchase the ‘Taller Masriera’ for €10 million and cede it to the Town Hall for public use, as well as to acquire the construction rights from Los Lluïsos de Gracia, who were willing to transfer the building rights in exchange for financial compensation.

The fund led by Josep Maria Farré has thrown in the towel and announced that it will renovate the existing building to convert it into luxury housing. In this way, the city bids farewell to a project that would have involved the entry of the hotel chain Four Seasons into Barcelona and the creation of 380 direct jobs.

Yesterday, the deputy mayoress for town planning, ecology and mobility, Janet Sanz, said she was pleased that the developers “had understood the extent of the fatigue that is affecting the city and its residents, regarding the cost and impact that certain operations may have in specific areas”.

Original story: Expansión (by M.A.)

Translation: Carmel Drake