The City Council of Reus has put out to tender the demolition of the old Carrilet warehouse, a municipal property initially intended to house the new Carrilet Market and later the Casa de la Festa. The project now foresees the construction of 47 affordable rental flats, part of the Catalan Government's 50,000 Plan to expand the protected housing stock.
The demolition, with a base budget of 400,495.79 euros, is expected to take two months. However, the intervention is complex due to the presence of asbestos in the warehouse's roof, which has been unused for many years and shows signs of deterioration. The awarded company must be accredited to work with asbestos and develop a specific plan requiring authorization from the Generalitat.
The plot, measuring 1,873 square meters and located near Balmes street and the Eduard Toda School, is projected to accommodate 47 affordable homes. A significant portion of the demolition budget, 160,198 euros (40%), will come from the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), with the remainder funded by municipal resources.
The warehouse has a history of changing plans. Acquired by Reus Mobilitat i Serveis in late 2022 for 850,000 euros with the intention of relocating the Carrilet Market, a change in government led to a rethink of the project. The new executive decided to keep the market in its current location and renovate it. Subsequently, the property was transferred to the Municipal Land and Housing Heritage to facilitate its use for public housing programs.
Municipal sources highlight the strategic importance of the site due to its location, intended to become a new hub of centrality and intermodality in the south of the city, connecting with the bus station and the future TramCamp. The mayor, Sandra Guaita, has indicated that the housing could be combined with ground-floor uses.
The Carrilet site joins other plots that Reus has offered to the Generalitat for the 50,000 Plan, including land on Ball de Diables street (78 homes), Vilafortuny street (51 homes), and the former Pich Aguilera factory (projected for 190 affordable homes).
