Project to Replace Long-Abandoned Building
The Viladecans City Council has granted initial approval to a Special Plan that will transform the long-vacant site of the former Casino de Alba-rosa at 20 Gardènies Street into a healthcare and social assistance facility for older residents. The document received initial approval by mayoral decree on 1 July 2026. The building, previously a private social club and restaurant, had been abandoned for nearly 20 years and was occupied illegally for part of that time. It was evicted in June 2025 under a court order, in an operation carried out by the Mossos d'Esquadra (regional police) and the Local Police. The site has since been demolished, and the 2,102-square-metre plot in the Alba-rosa neighbourhood is now empty.
New Residence to Serve 100 Elderly People
The new development will include an assisted living residence with capacity for about 80 residents, alongside a day centre for 20 users. The project is expected to serve approximately 100 people. The facility will be developed by ADMA 2025 S.L, a company linked to the construction and development firm Rudrosa. The architectural team drafting the project is BJ arquitectes - Blai Pérez i Jordi Ramos Arquitectes Associats, slp. Although the final design has not yet been defined, the Special Plan sets a maximum buildable floor area of 2,102 square metres and restricts height to ensure the facility blends with the surrounding area, which is largely made up of single-family homes.
The new residence is considered a facility of public interest and essential character due to the growing need for elderly care resources in Viladecans.
The project will be fully privately funded, with no financial burden on municipal finances, according to the economic study accompanying the plan. The estimated construction cost is approximately €5.19 million.
Addressing a Critical Shortage in Elderly Care
The Special Plan highlights a significant shortfall in residential care for older people in Viladecans. Current data shows the city has 213 residential places across five centres, of which 94 are publicly owned. With more than 12,000 residents aged over 65, the city has a ratio of 1.76 residential places per 100 elderly people, below the Catalan average used in the study.
The waiting time to access a residential place can reach up to two years in some cases.
The need for additional public provision intensified after the Generalitat government reduced public places at the Frederica Montseny Sociosanitary Centre. This new residence will include places subsidised by the Generalitat, as confirmed by the council following meetings with the landowners. In addition to this project, two more elderly care facilities are planned: the private Mirador de Viladecans residence in the Ginestar neighbourhood, due for completion in 2027 with around 150 places and a 50-person day centre, and a future public residence with capacity for about 80 people, the project for which was announced in February 2026 by the then Minister of Social Rights and Inclusion, Mònica Martínez Bravo, and Mayor Olga Morales. Once the urban planning process is finalised and the building permit issued, the development will proceed in a single five-year phase.
Reported by elperiodico.com, Àlex Rebollo, news3edad.com, Arnau Raimundo, Redacción, El Periódico Barcelona.
