The La Mina Venus demolition has been officially scheduled for 2028 as part of a major €113 million neighbourhood transformation plan announced by Catalan President Salvador Illa.
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This landmark decision comes 25 years after the original 2000 urban plan first proposed tearing down the controversial building, which has become a symbol of what locals call “vertical shanty towns” in one of Catalonia’s most deprived areas.
La Mina Venus demolition strategy shifts approach
Significantly, the government has completely changed its strategy for relocating residents. Rather than constructing a new building, authorities will now purchase existing flats throughout the neighbourhood to rehouse families individually. This new approach aims to accelerate the process that has stalled for decades. Furthermore, the Consorci de la Mina has already acquired 40 second-hand flats, with 15 additional purchases awaiting notarial signatures and 26 more in progress.
The Venus building contains 244 social housing units and 15 commercial spaces spread across six stairwells. Of these, 179 are privately owned, 33 belong to the Consorci de la Mina, and 32 are owned by Sant Adrià del Besòs council. The relocation process involves a complex puzzle affecting all these properties. Consequently, nearly half of the transformation budget – €53 million – is specifically allocated to addressing the Venus building situation.
Resident reactions and compensation concerns
However, not all residents are convinced by the new timeline. Paqui Jiménez, who has lived in the Venus building since 1976, expressed scepticism about the latest announcements. “We’re not going to withdraw the three lawsuits we’ve filed,” she stated. “Some people don’t want to move to certain flats, and we don’t want temporary housing until the new 66-home building is constructed either.”
Additionally, Jiménez raised concerns about compensation levels, noting that authorities are basing offers on valuations from three years ago. Meanwhile, 26 families and seven businesses have already accepted compensation payments in exchange for giving up their right to be rehoused, while 36 more families are currently considering this option. Another 12 families have already been relocated to Consorci-owned flats, with five more moves planned in coming months.
Broader neighbourhood transformation vision
The broader transformation plan extends well beyond the Venus demolition. It includes construction of 66 new social housing units, an elderly care home, a nursery school for approximately 100 children, and an International Olympic Wrestling Centre that will serve as a global reference for sport’s role in social integration and urban regeneration. These projects reflect similar community investment initiatives seen across Barcelona in recent months.
The wrestling centre has a €6.6 million budget, while the nursery is allocated €5.93 million and the 60-place care home receives €12 million. The comprehensive plan also involves building 356 social housing units and completely renovating the civic centre. President Illa has maintained the project to locate the future headquarters of the Department of Social Rights in the neighbourhood, reinforcing the government’s commitment to the area’s regeneration.
Sant Adrià del Besòs mayor Filo Cañete described the announcement as “one of those days that makes clear why I went into politics – to improve the daily lives of my neighbours and of neighbourhoods with potential like La Mina.” She added that the area could become “one of the most important points in the metropolitan area” following this transformation. This ambitious project represents one of several significant housing and urban development initiatives currently underway in the Barcelona region.
The La Mina Venus demolition now faces its most concrete timeline yet, with the 2028 deadline representing a crucial test of the government’s ability to deliver on long-promised urban regeneration in one of Catalonia’s most challenging neighbourhoods. Whether this latest attempt will finally succeed where previous administrations failed remains the critical question for residents who have waited a quarter-century for change.
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