Rubén Viñuales completes three years as mayor of Tarragona with an eye on 2027 and with a political decision already made about his next term: he wants to keep the current government team almost unchanged. The only confirmed departure is that of Berni Álvarez, while Mario Soler will remain in the municipal executive.
The electoral horizon coexists with an agenda of major announcements and very specific deadlines. The city council aims to complete or activate projects such as the Fòrum de la Colònia, the renovation of the bus fleet, the Greenbelt, the first section of the Rambla, the asphalt plan, the celebration of the Tour, and the delivery of 192 affordable rental housing units before May 2027.
Viñuales wants to reach 2027 with 192 apartments and 45 million for La Tabacalera
Among the commitments that the council places in this final stretch of its term is also the creation of a National Parador in the Bank of Spain building. The project covers 7,300 square meters, with 3,000 in the historic building and another 4,300 newly constructed.
In addition, the administrations have committed 45 million euros for the rehabilitation of La Tabacalera between the State, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the Diputació. The transfer of the state library is planned for autumn, once the segregation of the Assecador property is completed.
Regarding that facility, Viñuales raised his tone against the PP by defending the library planned for La Tabacalera.
"If the PP does not want the library and renounces a 10,000 m2 facility, with more than 20 million euros in investment that would be one of the jewels of libraries in Spain and the world, they will have to explain it very well." - Rubén Viñuales, mayor of Tarragona
In parallel, the initial approval of the POUM will arrive before the end of the current term, after the economic feasibility reports have advanced favorably. That document also incorporates the future Horta Gran station, valued at 5 billion euros, for which the Generalitat will prepare a railway study commissioned by the Ministry.
The development of Mas d'en Sorder will be linked to an already urbanized street with existing services. The municipal plan is to build on one side and preserve the modernist building, in an area where the golf course already belongs to Tarragona and receives municipal services.
The Horta Gran station is included in the POUM while the coastal track exceeds 80% certainty
Mobility concentrates another part of the mayor's speech. Viñuales defended a new station for the city and for the volume of users that is currently divided between Passeig d'Espanya and Camp de Tarragona.
"I don't need anyone's permission or support to ask for a station for the inhabitants of Tarragona and for the two million users of the Passeig d'Espanya station, nor for the 700,000 out of the 1.3 million travelers who go to Camp de Tarragona every year to catch the AVE." - Rubén Viñuales, mayor of Tarragona
The city council contrasts this commitment with the intermodal station in Vila-seca, which it considers unviable due to its isolated location, without connection to the autopuerto or other transport systems, and also situated in a freight traffic area. The saturation of the coast also weighs on the railway debate, where the infrastructure is already operating at 85% of its capacity.
This figure exceeds the international safety threshold of 80%, so the third rail is proposed as a provisional solution while the Generalitat studies diverting freight traffic through the interior. In this scenario, the tram will assume the urbanization of Carrer del Mar with a model similar to the one applied to the civic axis of Salou.
Changes have also come into effect on the commercial front. Establishments of up to 300 square meters can now open on holidays in Tarragona, and between 85% and 90% of businesses on La Rambla have room to do so on Sundays, although most do not see it as profitable.
Another municipal objective affects the control of urban fauna. The city council plans to reduce the pigeon population by 75% in three years with actions in the Port and the rest of the city, after having denied licenses and sanctioned companies that stored food without adequate closing systems.
The economic comparison of the railway projects is fixed at two figures. The Orbital Line has an estimated investment of 5.2 billion euros for an area of Vallès with 1.5 million residents, compared to the 821,000 inhabitants of the province of Tarragona.