The marina of Tarragona, in decline for 15 years, wants to take advantage of the end of the concession of sixty premises, most of them empty for some time, to revitalize and change its model: end of leisure premises nocturnal Just in March, the 30 years of the old concession were fulfilled, a fact that allows us to open a new period that wants to be one of deep renewal.
The Royal Nautical Club of Tarragona, which has the concession to manage the marina and the premises, has obtained a 12-year extension from the Port Authority of Tarragona (APT). The next concession and the economic viability of the yacht club, a historic local entity, will depend on the success of the transformation of the marina.
In the middle of this process, with the second phase of the works underway, the bad weather has arrived. Some of those who now have to renew the concession of their premises, with new conditions and higher prices, yesterday made their indignation public and announced legal proceedings against the company that has the concession to manage the commercial premises, mostly by the Royal Nautical Club.
The gradual process of closing premises has meant that there are not many numerically those who denounce new “abusive and totally opaque” conditions. There are half a dozen concessionaires who say that the new prices make the restaurant and diving center businesses unviable (3,600 customers every summer) which continue to operate despite the still decadent appearance of the marina.
“The price increase in my case is up to 1,500%”, says Carlos Cavero, who previously owned a restaurant (El Mesón del Mar). “They are forcing us to leave, they are kicking us out”, he adds. “We want a homogeneous and transparent negotiation”, asks Ángel Quiñones, also a localist, appointed spokesman.
One of its priority objectives is to press publicly to obtain the intermediation of the Port Authority of Tarragona. “Roman remains impassive and they are part and parcel, they have granted the extension of the concession and have 35% of the shares of the company that manages the premises”, complains Carlos Arriola, with the concession of another of the restaurant premises (Brisa ).
Among those who denounce what they consider a strategy to get them not to renew their concessions and leave the premises free are also Sajjad Ali, with another restaurant business, and Josep Ferrando, owner of the Coco bar and originally of Sala Golfus, a of the most successful nightclubs, twenty years ago. Then 12,000 young people used to spend every weekend at the marina.
Another one of those affected is Marilen Selva, with a live music venue (Mojo Club). “I’ve been told I’m annoying,” he says. He has started selling the sound equipment because he has an order to vacate the premises.
The concessionary company has not started the commercialization of the new premises because the reorganization works of the urban space have just started. The remodeling announced by Nàutic will be profound, with fewer premises and better services, which on paper will attract new businesses.
Discarding the discotheques, the aim is to attract, in addition to restaurants and gastronomy of a higher quality than the current one, activities linked to nautical and also companies and offices linked to the so-called blue economy, a model that has the full support of the Port Authority of Tarragona and its president, Saül Garreta: “We add everything we can to a model different from the one we have now”.