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Diari de Catalunya

Neighborhood concern in Gràcia over empty premises that housed a drug den

A property on Rambla del Prat, closed for 13 years, is causing concern among residents after being occupied for drug sales.

Facade of a closed commercial premises with wooden boards and real estate ads on a street in Gràcia.
IA

Facade of a closed commercial premises with wooden boards and real estate ads on a street in Gràcia.

The community of Rambla del Prat in Gràcia expresses its concern over a commercial premises that has been empty for 13 years and was recently used as a drug dealing point, leading to security issues.

Residents of Rambla del Prat, an emblematic street in Gràcia, are experiencing concern over a premises located at the corner with Gran de Gràcia. This establishment, currently boarded up with wooden planks and real estate advertisements, has been empty for 13 years, but the worry has intensified after it was occupied for drug sales.
Almost two years ago, individuals accessed a less protected part of the premises and set up a drug dealing point. This situation led to an increase in violence, robberies, and fights in the area, even causing the death of a drug addict in front of the Cine Bosque. Neighbors, who prefer to remain anonymous out of fear, experienced a period of great insecurity, with queues of people waiting to buy drugs and frequent thefts.
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"Sometimes there was a queue, people waiting at the banks to buy their dose. And it was common that, before or after buying, especially before, they would take the opportunity to steal. There started to be thefts, some with violence. They robbed a bar and the owner, who confronted the thief, was injured."

a resident of Rambla del Prat
The premises were evicted by judicial order in June 2025. However, the concern has been rekindled with a new attempt at occupation a few months ago, which did not succeed, and the presence of some of the former occupants near the establishment.
The owner of the property, an octogenarian descendant of the family that owned the Colmado Fortuny in the same location, remains firm in his rental conditions. He demands 13,000 euros per month, the same amount paid by the last tenant, an intimate fashion store that closed in 2013. He argues that, despite offers of 10,000 euros, he is in no hurry to rent and can afford to keep the premises closed.
The owner also points out that the current land use plan prevents the installation of hospitality businesses, which could reach the figure he is asking for. He claims to have reported the occupation at the time and regrets the slowness of the judicial process. He also denounces the situation faced by property owners in Barcelona, feeling "demonized" and suffering occupations in other properties he owns.
Despite the difficulties, a hundred neighbors and merchants from Rambla del Prat have united to ask the Barcelona City Council to guarantee that there will be no new occupations and that the premises can regain the commercial activity they desire for the area.

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