Manresa has started demolishing four properties in the Aiguader passage, between Sant Bartomeu and Aiguader streets in Les Escodines, to make way for new affordable public housing. The work is being led by the municipal company Foment de la Rehabilitació Urbana de Manresa, Forum SA.
The demolition is expected to take about two months. During that time, the Aiguader passage will be closed, while Sant Bartomeu and Aiguader streets will stay open to pedestrians and vehicles. Residents have been informed through notices placed at building entrances.
The Les Escodines project is part of the Pla de Barris i Viles, the Neighbourhood and Towns Plan, which also includes work at Sant Miquel 14 and Sobrerroca 29-31. The Sobrerroca scheme will include a socio-community civic space and citizen service offices, as well as affordable public housing.
Manresa City Council approved a capital increase for Forum SA last year so the company could lead rehabilitation and construction projects for affordable housing. The first three developments planned are the rehabilitation of Sant Miquel 14 in the Historic Centre, and new homes on Sant Bartomeu street and in the Aiguader passage in Les Escodines.
Sant Miquel 14 includes a mural painted in 2015 by artist Valentí Gubianas. In 2016, the council intervened to secure the property, then owned by Liberbank. The building supports the 14th-century arch of Carrer d'en Botí, and has a ground floor and four upper floors on the corner with Carrer d'en Botí.
The two projects represent a total investment of €3.8 million. Of that, €1.64 million will come from the City Council over three years through the capital increase. Forum SA will cover the rest with its own funding and a mortgage loan. The council will also contribute one of the plots in the Sant Bartomeu sector to Forum, while the other already belongs to the municipal company. For more local coverage, see our news page.
The city government says the work is the start of a longer strategy to increase affordable housing in Manresa, especially in the Historic Centre and Les Escodines, where older buildings need rehabilitation and vacant plots can be used for new homes. Officials say bringing in new residents could also support local economic activity, and housing remains a priority in the Municipal Action Plan.