Barcelona prepares a fund to save historic shops at risk of closure

A shutter coming down for good can change much more than just a shop window. Barcelona wants to prevent some historic shops, or those especially important to their neighbourhoods, from disappearing and being replaced by businesses unrelated to the local commercial fabric.

To do this, the City Council will create a fund before the end of 2026 to acquire landmark or strategic commercial premises. The mayor, Jaume Collboni, has also said that the council hopes to close a first deal before the end of the year.

Can the City Council buy a shop to save it?

That is precisely the idea. The fund would allow the council to acquire certain premises when their history, uniqueness or importance to a neighbourhood justifies preserving the activity that takes place there.

The aim is not to buy shops across the board. The approach would be selective and assessed case by case, focusing on establishments and commercial areas considered strategic. The model is based on experiences in cities like Paris.

The key is in the right of first refusal and withdrawal

For the plan to work, there is still a legal piece to fit. The Generalitat has set up a working group to study what legislative changes would allow Catalan councils to exercise the right of first refusal and withdrawal on certain commercial premises.

In simple terms, this mechanism would give the administration the option to have priority in certain sales and purchase operations and acquire the property under the conditions set for the transaction.

The intention is not to extend this right to any shop that comes onto the market. It would apply only to a limited percentage of establishments considered strategic or landmark.

The map will start by identifying which shops need protection

The Generalitat is already working with 22 county capitals to identify commercial areas, draw up inventories of empty premises and gather data to detect areas where intervention may be needed.

In Barcelona, the stated aim is to preserve shops that play a role in the daily life of neighbourhoods and prevent certain areas from losing commercial diversity.

In this way, a historic shop at risk of disappearing would no longer depend solely on finding a new owner willing to keep it going. If the new mechanism goes ahead and the establishment meets the criteria, the City Council itself could step in to try to maintain its activity.