The Tarragona Provincial Council will buy the former Caixa Tarragona building for 4.5 million euros before June 30. President Noemí Llauradó has confirmed that the supra-municipal entity has been forced to exercise the right of first refusal and withdrawal, reserved since 2013 when the adjacent building - called Síntesi - was acquired, after a second buyer has expressed his willingness to acquire it. . Llauradó has defended that with this operation its corporate and operational headquarters in the Imperial Tarraco square will be unified to "gain efficiency and offer better services."
The forecast is that around 300 workers will move to the new building before 2027, once the repair works have been completed, which would rise to 5.5 million euros.
At the end of 2023, BBVA - owner of the former Caixa Tarragona building - offered the Provincial Council the option of exercising the right of first refusal and withdrawal acquired in 2013, given the desire of a second buyer to acquire the property for 4.5 millions of euros.
"The right was reserved pending a firm offer from third parties," explained the General Services deputy, Eduard Rovira, who defended that when the Provincial Council showed interest in the building "the price skyrocketed" and was around the 7 million euros.
For this reason, President Noemí Llauradó has celebrated the vision that the government led by Josep Poblet had of reserving the acquisition of the property when the adjacent building was purchased in 2013. An operation that also contemplated that the period to make it official was three months.
"We have until the end of March to communicate that we exercise this right of first refusal and withdrawal," said Llauradó, who confirmed that he has already signed the proposal to modify the credit of 4.5 million euros to be put to a vote in the plenary session of the Next February 9th.
It will not be until the end of March when the plenary session definitively approves the purchase of the property, which will be made official before June 30.
From there, the supra-municipal entity will begin to work on the rehabilitation of the 7,782 square meter property, with a first budget estimate of 5.5 million euros. The forecast is that the works will be completed before 2027 and about 300 workers can be transferred, of the 365 who are currently in the Palau de la Diputació.
The entity's objective is to unify the corporate headquarters (currently in the Palace) and the operational headquarters (Synthesis building) in Plaza Imperial Tarraco. According to Llauradó, the current headquarters, located in the Palau de la Diputació, will remain only as an institutional and representative headquarters.
"It will be the real estate operation of the mandate," stated Llauradó, who believes that the change of location will help to gain efficiency and be able to provide a better service to citizens and the different administrations and entities.
