In the coming months, the Port of Barcelona's Old Port, or Port Vell, will receive more than €86 million in public-private investments, corresponding to 17 actions that will significantly transform this city-port area. These 17 projects, which are being performed between 2023 and 2024, will change the face of the most public-friendly area of the Port of Barcelona, according to the company's release.
The 17 actions represent an initial phase in the great transformation that the Port Vell will undergo in the coming years, and will all be finished before the 37th America's Cup kicks off on 22 August 2024. Then, once this competition is over, the Port of Barcelona plans to open up more spaces in the port area for public use and to provide new uses to existing buildings that will now be refurbished, such as the sheds on Oriental wharf.
The 17 projects to be developed in this first phase of transformation of the Port Vell are: refurbishing the crown wall of the North entrance mouth; building the Nova Bocana promenade and the new Mirador building; developing the terraces of the new entrance mouth; refurbishing the sheds on the Oriental wharf; extending the Sant Sebastià breakwater; remodelling the fishing area; adapting new spaces for the Nautical Institute; Demolishing the Cinesa building; remodelling the Maremàgnum; refurbishing the historic Portal de la Pau building; transferring operations from the Barcelona Nord and Drassanes wharves to the Adossat wharf; stabilising and protecting the metal structure of the Torre de Jaume I tower; building the America's Cup House – IMAX Building; remodelling the World Trade Center Barcelona and launching a nautical bus service between the Drassanes and Llevant wharves.
In order to promote and speed up this transformation, the Port of Barcelona has decided to assign new powers to Gerència Urbanística Port Vell - the Port Vell Urban Development Authority - run by David Pino since 1 January this year, in the areas of planning and concessions and to attribute it more financial and human resources.