With the centenary of the 1929 Universal Exhibition on the horizon, the PSC wants to take advantage of the ephemeris to promote, during the six years that remain until then, an update of the Montjuïc fair grounds. The aim is to carry out a modernization of the central palaces so that they adapt to the needs of the 21st century, and to further exploit the possibilities derived from having a fair in the middle of the urban plot, a potential that very few cities have and can take advantage especially of all those events that have an aspect aimed at the public in general.
The modernization and boost project is part of what Socialist candidate Jaume Collboni defines as “the third major transformation of Montjuïc”, as it goes far beyond the changes to the fairgrounds. The proposal, communicated in a press conference to the Efe agency, seeks to “create a new cultural, sporting and economic centrality” and includes the demolition of one of the unused palaces to build around 500 public housing and the transformation of a another to allocate it to economic activity, to accommodate small businesses, preferably related to some of the fairs organized by Fira de Barcelona.
The Queen Victoria pavilion will be transferred to the MNAC to expand it and the Italian pavilion, for its part, will become a local sports facility, responding to neighborhood requests. The City Council and the Fair reached an agreement last year and in the penultimate plenary session of the term, the modification of the Metropolitan General Plan (PGM) was provisionally approved. In this plan there is also a greater role for pedestrians in Maria Cristina avenue, which will be reformed, although it is still to be defined how it will be.
As part of this third major transformation of Montjuïc, Collboni also proposes to remodel the Palau Sant Jordi to update it technologically and improve aspects such as the sound system. In addition, as was discussed during the last term, he wants to promote the reform of the Palau d’Esports on Carrer Lleida to make it a benchmark for e-sports and e-games. What until a few months ago was the first deputy mayor of the municipal government already took steps in this direction with the creation of an incubator for start-up companies related to sports and technology that is about to enter service in a disused space within the Olympic stadium.
