La Sagrada Família is committed to finding a way for residents affected by the stairs to remain in the neighborhood

Camps said this in the decision of the first call of the Temple’s Social Action Fund and after the meeting held last month by the City Council and those affected by the construction of the staircase that will give access to the monument above the Carrer Mallorca. According to ACN, the chairman called for “dialogue” and “non-convergence” in order to reach an agreement, and said the local executive was “talking.” In addition, it relied on the understanding with the Neighbors Association because there were already previous collaborations. “People understand each other through talking,” he added.

Key to the debate remains the construction of a grand staircase designed by the Temple Building Council in front of the Gloria façade which would involve the demolition of two blocks of houses, between Calle Mallorca and Calle Arago. This was, in fact, planned in the General Metropolitan Plan (PGM) of 1976, which designated a two-block wide promenade so that the Sagrada Familia would have a transparent entrance clearly visible from Diagonal Street.

Esteve Camps defended the legitimacy of the perpendicularity of the Glòria façade, and pointed out that the controversial staircase is an element that actually appeared in Antoni Gaudí’s original project. “If we are his heirs, we have to fight until this is done,” he said.

But Camps admitted that he realizes that residents do not want to leave the neighborhood, and that they expressed themselves to that effect in the meeting they held with municipal officials last May. For this reason, he wanted to send a reassuring message and stated that “this will not be a problem because the most appropriate solution will be sought so that everyone who wants to stay in the neighborhood can stay.”

The President of the Temple Council explained that in the meetings he held with the Council in this regard, the local executive was very “dialogue” and said that the relationship with the Sagrada Familia Neighbors Association is good. “We have cooperated together on other issues,” Camps noted, noting that “if an understanding was reached without problem on other issues, it would certainly be possible now as well.”

Plot in Carrer Mallorca, possible exit

Camps noted that in 2019 a plot of land was acquired in Carrer Mallorca for use as a warehouse and insisted that this space could be used to build houses. “It could be a starting point for a possible solution,” he said, adding that depending on the classification given by the city council, between 113 and 138 floors could be built there.

While waiting to see what proposal the current municipal government will present, the latest project on the table is the one recently sent to residents by the Ada Colau government by its then chief architect, Xavier Matila. These proposals, which have remained hidden until now due to a confidentiality agreement between the previous government and the residents, minimize the impact on homes and create a puzzle that allows a balance between green space, housing and amenities that only interfere with the area. Some islands in the area.

Although there were many proposals, there was one that residents admitted they particularly liked. Thus, the width of the stairs, which fell from 60 meters to only 40 metres, was reduced, which made it possible to significantly reduce the number of damaged houses and reduce the number of people resettled to 171. In addition, these residents will settle in a new building that will be built on these The plot in Carrer Mallorca is already owned by the Sagrada Família and is located in Carrer Mallorca itself, between Lépant and Marina. Estate, according to previous government calculations, there will be 72 additional homes.

In addition, the staircase that allows access to the Gloria Gate – which wants to cross Carrer Mallorca through a raised platform so that cars can continue to drive under it – led to a plaza in the interior of the island that only connects to Carrer Valencia. – And not far from Arago, as expected – although the area between Arago and Valencia should be enabled as a green zone. However, the Colboni government did not want to adopt any of the previous proposals – not even those of the Xavier Trias mandate – and said that all previous work helps, but it is necessary to face this debate with an open mind in order to facilitate an agreement between the two parties.