14.03.2014 - 17:00
The municipal government has presented a government measure for protecting and promoting the city’s iconic retail establishments. This is the Specific Plan for the Protection and Support of Iconic Establishments.
According to Raimond Blasi, the Councilor for Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Markets: “The measure is an important starting point for grouping together the initiatives being implemented, as well as others, that allow us to maintain a commercial heritage of unique and quality establishments”. The measure acknowledges the importance of these iconic shops and establishes a series of initiatives that contribute to their protection and conservation within the framework of a constantly changing commercial map.
Councilor Blasi remarked: “The Plan puts the emphasis on iconic establishments, involving measures such as joint responsibility to promote their economic viability, ensure the conservation of their heritage and the commercial value they wield”.
The current heritage protection measures have proved insufficient for the preservation of the architectural and artistic material wealth of the establishments that have decided, for whatever reasons, to close down. They have closed for strictly private reasons, such as: the lack of successors, the viability of the business (consumer habits, more attractive/efficient competition) and pressure from the commercial property sector which, in some cases, has made it too costly for business owners. In other cases shops have closed down following the end of the moratorium on the Urban Rents Act (LAU).
Attempts will be made to see that any premises which end up ceasing their current activities can remain active, by preserving their architectural and property heritage and finding new locations for their activities which, despite being profitable, are threatened by the new prices of leases. So, this government measure is aimed at retailers with iconic establishments, the owners of such establishments and Barcelona residents too, because consumers share responsibility for the conservation of iconic establishments.
You can consult this map to find the protected establishments in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter.
