Girona Mayor Lluc Salellas visited Manresa on Wednesday, 30 September, for talks with Manresa Mayor Marc Aloy and a tour of projects including protected cooperative homes, cultural facilities and the future Fàbrica Nova knowledge and technology site.

For Manresa residents, the visit focused on schemes intended to expand community-based affordable housing, support artistic training and convert a former industrial complex into a university, research and business centre. Gerió Digital reported that the two mayors used the meeting to share municipal experiences, concerns and challenges.

Four projects on the Manresa itinerary

Salellas met Aloy at Manresa Town Hall, signed the city’s book of honour and then joined a walking tour of strategic projects in the Bages county capital.

  • Museu del Barroc de Catalunya: the Museum of Baroque Art of Catalonia, housed in the restored former Col·legi Sant Ignasi and intended as a cultural centre with a Catalonia-wide role.
  • Fàbrica Nova: a former factory being converted into a knowledge, innovation and technology centre in partnership with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, the public Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
  • La Bertrana: officially protected cooperative homes on Carrer de Pilar Bertran Vallès, developed by Manresa City Council and the Sostre Cívic housing cooperative.
  • Casa de la Música: a cultural project designed to support artistic creation, emerging music and music education for residents.

Fàbrica Nova has €4m Generalitat funding

The Fàbrica Nova project is being led by Manresa City Council and the UPC. According to the university, Generalitat de Catalunya funding of €4 million was announced during a visit to the works on 30 March.

“A first firm step that demonstrates the Government’s commitment to turning this space into a strategic node for knowledge and innovation in Central Catalonia.”Núria Montserrat, Generalitat research and universities minister, on the €4 million investment

The UPC says the completed site is planned to bring together university education, research and businesses, with the aim of attracting talent and generating innovation. Residents can follow the development through the Ajuntament de Manresa’s Fàbrica Nova project page.

Primary sources: upc.edu, upcommons.upc.edu, govern.upc.edu, memoriadigital.upc.edu, upcarts.upc.edu. Reported by gerio.cat, manresa.cat, eb.manresa.cat, Diari de Girona, Gerió Digital.