{"id":117545,"date":"2025-02-24T17:18:06","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T16:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mallorcaglobalmag.es\/el-ajuntament-de-palma-adquiere-el-edificio-de-gesa-por-253-millones-de-euros\/"},"modified":"2025-02-24T17:21:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T16:21:14","slug":"el-ajuntament-de-palma-adquiere-el-edificio-de-gesa-por-253-millones-de-euros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mallorcaglobalmag.es\/en\/el-ajuntament-de-palma-adquiere-el-edificio-de-gesa-por-253-millones-de-euros\/","title":{"rendered":"Palma City Council acquires the GESA building for 25.3 million euros"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Palma City Council<\/strong> has finalised the purchase<\/strong> of the emblematic GESA building<\/strong> and the two adjoining plots<\/strong> for a total of \u20ac25,365,575<\/strong>, thus consolidating the full municipalisation<\/strong> of the city\u2019s seafront<\/strong>. This strategic operation puts an end to over 15 years of legal disputes and administrative claims<\/strong> with Endesa, which could have cost the municipal coffers up to \u20ac60 million<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The purchase was partially financed through funds from the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan<\/strong>, which contributed \u20ac10 million<\/strong>, while \u20ac16.9 million<\/strong> were allocated for the compensation and cancellation of urban planning obligations assumed by Endesa<\/strong>. Meanwhile, the two adjacent plots were acquired for \u20ac5,203,000<\/strong>, VAT included.<\/p>\n

\"GESA

Photo: Palma City Council.<\/p><\/div>\n

The transactional agreement signed by the Mayor of Palma, Jaime Mart\u00ednez Llabr\u00e9s<\/strong>, makes the City Council the owner of the building and its surrounding land, enabling the recovery of a key area of the city to be used for new public and cultural spaces. “The GESA building will become the driving force behind the Palma Culture and Innovation Bay<\/strong><\/a>, a transformative project that will promote Palma\u2019s social and territorial cohesion,” the mayor highlighted during the signing ceremony held in the plenary hall, after which he visited the building accompanied by municipal and regional authorities.<\/p>\n

The GESA building: a cultural and innovation hub<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Listed by the Consell de Mallorca<\/strong> in 2007, the GESA building spans 15,915 square metres<\/strong>, consists of 13 floors (two of which are underground)<\/strong>, and stands at 34 metres tall<\/strong>. Thanks to its strategic location facing Palma Bay, it will become the epicentre of the Palma Culture and Innovation Bay<\/strong>, a project aimed at transforming the Nou Llevant<\/strong> neighbourhood into a sustainable, cultural, and innovative district.<\/p>\n

The building will house the future Municipal Institute of the Arts<\/strong>, a municipal library and archive, an auditorium, a cultural and exhibition centre, citizen service offices, parking facilities, and other public spaces.<\/p>\n

“Today is a historic day for Palma<\/strong>. With this purchase, the seafront becomes the property of all citizens, marking a key step towards the Palma of the future,” the mayor emphasised.<\/p>\n

The City Council will soon launch an ideas competition<\/strong> to design the transformation of the building, in line with its ambition to make Palma the European Capital of Culture in 2031<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Opposition criticism<\/h3>\n

Meanwhile, the Socialist municipal group<\/strong> has criticised the lack of planning<\/strong> by the PP-led municipal government<\/strong>, which intends to spend \u20ac80 million on the purchase and renovation<\/strong> of the GESA building without a clear project<\/strong>. According to the PSOE Palma<\/strong> spokesperson, Xisco Ducr\u00f3s<\/strong>, this decision is “an absurd move<\/strong> that mortgages the city\u2019s future while ignoring urgent issues.”<\/p>\n

The Socialists in Palma insist that this budget should be redirected towards a Priority Municipal Investment Agenda<\/strong>, focusing on real solutions to improve citizens\u2019 lives. With the \u20ac80 million earmarked for GESA, the city could:<\/span><\/p>\n