Last week, I signed with the Finance and Internal Resources Deputy of the Council for the Province of Barcelona, Carles Russinyol, the free transfer agreement of the Miramar Building to the Sitges City Council during a period of six years. The Miramar Building is the property of the Council for the Province of Barcelona, and is intended for municipal and administrative uses. It is the first time that the use of this building, having a significant public importance and an important part of our legacy, is transferred to the City Hall beyond the limited scope of a legislature. In other words, the duration of the agreement, which goes against the dominant trend in recent years, was conceived having our future in mind and not only our present needs. The decision blatantly ignored any political speculation about which political party will rule over the City Hall and the Council for the Province of Barcelona.The above mentioned agreement will allow the relocation of a substantial portion of municipal offices, which for nearly two years have been concentrated at the Sitges Reference Building. Such building was located at the Pruelles area, way out of the center. The transfer is crucial to definitively put an end to the pathetic political period that gave rise to the new building, a ruinous business for the City Hall. Because of wrong decisions lacking any foresight taken by the last government, the City Hall was forced to allocate money for two counts: as an initial investment and to pay a deranged monthly rent during years that was totally absurd and should have never been paid under normal conditions. The Sitges Reference is a case study, showcasing the public administration model that led to the critical financial situation that we suffer today.
The Miramar Building will house municipal offices on the upper floors and keep the first floor and the ground floor partly for cultural and public use, hoping that such facilities will be at the service of organizations and associations of Sitges. The lack of other public facilities capable of lodging municipal offices and the express refusal of the government to spend money on unnecessary rentals, is the main reason advising the partial restructuring of Miramar Building in City Council offices. The necessary placement of municipal offices does not alter the artistic and creative function of the building in the cultural map of our town. The Department of Culture will manage the areas of ground and first floors for exhibitions, activities, screenings and other cultural initiatives.
This measure, coupled with a rigorous planning of municipal services and attention to the public, will reduce on one hand the astronomical accumulated deficit and, secondly, to recover the centrality of most municipal offices, while continuing to answer to the cultural needs of Sitges.
