> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Barcelona Unlocks Mercat de l'Estrella Renovation - URL: https://barna.news/barcelona-unlocks-mercat-de-l-estrella/ - Published: 2026-09-13T12:54:33.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-13T12:54:33.000Z - Description: The Barcelona City Council has launched a competition to redesign the Mercat de l'Estrella in Gràcia, confirming renovations will proceed without relocating traders. - Author: Brandon Watea - Tags: Urban Development ## Renovation to Proceed Without Market Relocation The Barcelona City Council has officially unblocked the long-delayed renovation of the Mercat de l'Estrella in Gràcia, launching a project competition to rehabilitate the 1957-built market. The move follows years of controversy and planning delays, particularly over a previously proposed temporary relocation to the Baix Guinardó gardens. In a significant policy shift confirmed in March 2026, the council has now ruled out moving the market’s 19 remaining traders to a provisional structure in the Baix Guinardó park. Instead, the renovation will proceed while maintaining commercial activity in the existing building on Carrer Pi i Margall. > The possibility that has opened up to approach the market’s renovation differently is a positive outcome for the neighbourhood. Sara Belbeida, the newly appointed district councillor for Horta-Guinardó, announced the decision after meetings with local residents’ associations, including Salvem el Parc and Salvem el Guinardó, both of which had opposed the park development. The reversal ends a legal dispute in which local groups had sought court intervention to halt preparatory work in the gardens. --- ## Four-Year Project with Social Housing Expansion The renovation will include structural repairs to address serious building pathologies first identified in July 2021, including the presence of asbestos in the roof. The technical roadmap indicates the works will not be completed before 2030, with an estimated duration of four years. Concurrently, the project will expand the site with the construction of three new floors dedicated to social housing, accessible via separate entrances on Carrer de Providència and Carrer Pi i Margall. This addition is part of the city’s Municipal Action Plan (Pla d’Actuació Municipal) to increase public housing in areas with low availability. The market itself will be reorganised around a dozen stalls operating on a single ground floor, consolidating its current two-level layout. Plans for two underground levels, previously considered, have been scrapped. Residents and traders welcome the decision to keep the market open during construction, which will minimise disruption, especially during peak periods such as the Christmas season. The council has urged municipal technicians to begin work as soon as possible. --- ## Next Steps and Public Involvement The call for architectural proposals is now open, managed by the council’s urban planning department. The competition aims to select a design that integrates both the market’s functional needs and the new housing component, while preserving the character of the Gràcia district. Further details on the tender process are available via the [Barcelona City Council’s official portal](https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/es/el-mercado-provisional-de-la-estrella-se-instalara-en-los-jardines-del-baix-guinardo%5F1465328.html?ref=barna.news). --- *Primary sources:* [*Ayuntamiento de Barcelona*](https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/es/el-mercado-provisional-de-la-estrella-se-instalara-en-los-jardines-del-baix-guinardo%5F1465328.html?ref=barna.news)*. Reported by metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, independent.cat, Metrópoli, elperiodico.com, europapress.es, totbarcelona.cat, Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [L'Hospitalet Doubles Budget for Public Space Repairs](https://barna.news/l-hospitalet-doubles-budget-for-public/) - [Barcelona Starts Renfe Workshop Facade Renovation](https://barna.news/barcelona-starts-renfe-workshop-facade/) - [Barcelona tenders €10m heritage conservation contract](https://barna.news/barcelona-tenders-10m-heritage/) - [Medieval Burial Fears Delay Sant Andreu Garden Works](https://barna.news/medieval-burial-fears-delay-sant-andreu/)