The board of directors of the Centre de Negocis i Convencions has unanimously approved the construction of two 20-story towers next to La Llotja, in Lleida, with a total of 261 homes, of which 52 will be public housing. The developer Metrovacesa will carry out the Torres Lúmina project, which will also include a public square with green areas between the buildings and the convention center.
The operation comes after two failed attempts, in 2008 and 2022, on a plot of land that was sold to help pay for La Llotja and which has not been developed due to the economic crisis, financing problems, and the expiration of the building permit. The mayor, Fèlix Larrosa, highlighted the political and urbanistic value of the agreement.
Larrosa maintained that the project will allow for the incorporation of protected housing in Pardinyes for the first time, at a time of scarce supply. The mayor also stated that the initiative unblocks an area that has been pending for two decades next to one of the city's most visible facilities.
"Today we are closing a scar that has been open for 20 years" - Fèlix Larrosa, mayor of Lleida
The first tower will start in November 2027 with the 52 public housing units
The first phase will include the tower where the 52 public housing units will be concentrated. Construction will begin in November 2027, finish in December 2029, and the handover of keys is scheduled for April 2030.
The second phase will follow. Metrovacesa plans to start those works in July 2030, finish them in December 2031, and deliver the first homes in April 2032.
The developments will have apartments with one to four bedrooms and surfaces ranging from 40 to 125 square meters. The complex will also include commercial ground floors and two underground parking levels in each tower.
Metrovacesa will invest up to 60 million after the plot has been blocked since 2007
Metrovacesa estimates an investment of between 55 and 60 million euros and has confirmed that the marketing of the first homes will be immediate. Jorge Pérez de Leza, head of the developer, argued that the company has found a formula that allows the project to move forward.
"A solution has been found" - Jorge Pérez de Leza, head of Metrovacesa
The origin of the operation dates back to 2007, when the developer Crebat bought the land from the Paeria for 49.5 million euros to finance the construction of La Llotja. The 2008 crisis then halted the start of the works.
Later, BBVA acquired the plot and later sold it to Metrovacesa. The developer even started work in 2019, but suspended it in November of that year and the building permit expired in 2022 due to non-compliance with deadlines.
During the presentation, Larrosa emphasized that the 52 protected homes will be in the first phase and linked that reservation to the deficit of affordable housing in Pardinyes. Pérez de Leza added that the apartments will have above-average quality and that the square planned next to La Llotja will be for public use.
The approved calendar sets that the second phase will begin in July 2030 and that the first homes in that tower will be delivered in April 2032.