Project Halted Over Planning Constraints

The Department of Health has ruled out moving its central offices to the former RACC headquarters on Avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona, a property acquired by the Generalitat for €75.5 million to develop the future Clínic-UB Health Campus. A critical report from Barcelona Regional, an urban development agency jointly owned by public administrations including the Diputació, Barcelona City Council, and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), concluded that the site’s current classification as a sports facility clashes with plans to convert it into administrative offices. The urban planning designation, established when the RACC built its cooperative headquarters in line with its status as an automobile and motorsports club, restricts the property’s use and complicates repurposing it for office functions.

Search for New Headquarters Dropped

Sources within the Department of Health confirm that while the relocation was studied, it has now been discarded. Officials state that currently, "a new headquarters is not being sought." The ministry’s offices remain at the Recinte de la Maternitat de Les Corts, and no alternative move is underway. Despite the setback, the broader Clínic-UB Health Campus project continues. The site will still be integrated into the larger 70-hectare development spanning Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, and Esplugues de Llobregat, which aims to unify healthcare, teaching, and research under one hub. The project, backed as one of national interest by the Catalan government, includes a new hospital, the University of Barcelona’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and up to 1,125 homes. Total investment is estimated at €1.7 billion, with construction formally scheduled to begin in 2030 and completion targeted for 2035.

The urban planning regulations dictate what buildings can house and hinder their transformation into offices.

The RACC will remain in its current offices until 2030, during which time it is actively seeking a new location in Barcelona for its central services.

Sources: Crónica Global, Ajuntament de Barcelona, clinicbarcelona.org, Ara.