Ada Colau, the mayor of Barcelona, has given final consent to the implementation of the project to transform the former Mercedes-Benz plant located in the Sant Andreu area into the first LaMercedes eco-district for Spain. It will be designed from scratch and created in accordance with all the criteria for the construction of modern energy-efficient and environmentally friendly real estate.
The area will be of mixed use, accessible for living, working and studying. Houses and residential complexes, shops and places for recreation, cultural centers and sports grounds, educational institutions will be created. The area will be distinguished by the absence of cars, only trails for pedestrians and bike paths. All this is within a 5-minute walk.
At the same time, the entire district and the real estate within it will be built in such a way that the average temperature in it will be 3 degrees lower than the average in the city. Materials will be used for water absorption, purification and its subsequent use. It is being built in accordance with other eco-areas of Europe, similar projects in France and Sweden.
The Spanish developer and investment company Concern Tramway, working together with the architectural bureau Barlleiroig, is responsible for the creation of the district. It is also engaged in the restoration of industrial, industrial facilities in Barcelona. Together with the development of the eco-district, the company is working on 9 hectares of land and 185,000 square meters of real estate.
It is planned to create 1,300 houses for rent, 40% of them will be supplied as social housing. 15,000 square meters of general-purpose commercial premises, 51,700 square meters of offices for the creative economy sector, 11,000 square meters for public services and schools will be created. The area should become not only a comfortable place to live, but also one of the economic centers of the capital of Catalonia.
A project, which tries to match the leaders
Paco Hugas, one of the founders of Conren Tramway, says about the new project: "LaMercedes will be the largest project in the field of sustainable urban development in Spain, as well as a benchmark for Europe, which, at one time, became the B01 in Malmo, Sweden".
The plot purchased from Mercedes-Benz for construction was abandoned in 2007. At one time, it provided jobs for 1,500 people and was a mainstay for the local economy. Now the territory will get a second chance to become useful for the city and a landmark for all European cities.