Demolition of La Mina's Venus building set to redefine the neighborhood by 2028

The neighborhood of La Mina, in Sant Adrià de Besòs, just outside Barcelona, is about to undergo the biggest transformation in its history.

Built in the 1970s to rehouse migrants who had been living in shanty towns, the neighborhood soon became plagued by poverty, unemployment, and crime.

La Mina quickly gained a reputation as a dangerous place and was branded a "lawless district."

Today, the neighborhood is still fighting to rebuild its community and shake off that legacy, and an upcoming milestone may help: the demolition of the Venus building.

The building, home to more than 240 families, has become a symbol of the neighborhood’s decline, and many residents have demanded its demolition for years.

Although the demolition had long been planned, authorities struggled with what to do with the residents, as many preferred financial compensation over relocation.

The city council and the regional government initially scheduled the demolition for 2030, once all residents could be rehoused in new social housing units.

However, following a recent change in strategy, the government has decided to begin relocating residents into other apartments purchased by the administration.

If everything goes according to plan, all residents will be rehoused by the end of 2027, and the demolition will take place in 2028.

"Demolishing the Venus building means removing a whole stain of stigmatization from the neighborhood," Filo Cañete, the mayor of Sant Adrià, said during the presentation of the new strategy.

So far, of the 244 families living there, 37 cases have been resolved: 12 have already been relocated, and 25 others have left after receiving compensation.

The Catalan government says it is "accelerating" the process to ensure the building is emptied on schedule.

Yet the demolition of the Venus building is only one part of the wider plan to help La Mina shed its troubled reputation and build a new future.

Over the next few years, the government will invest €113 million to transform the neighborhood. 

The plan includes the construction of 356 social housing units and three major facilities: a sports center, a nursery, and a care home. 

"We don’t want La Mina to be seen only as a place of drugs and bad things. There are many positive things here, and many great people," said Antonia, one of the residents.

She hopes that, with this transformation, the neighborhood will finally have the chance to leave behind its old stigma, and shape a new identity.