The future reform of the Retiro in Sitges has made an important step forward, with the organisation recently approving a mortgage for the works that will help start the transformation of the venue into ‘a theatre-hall of the 21st century’.
The aim is to modernise the theatre and for the organisation to obtain a definitive activity license. The works, which will cost €1.6 million in total, will be done in phases. At the moment, the mortgage they have been granted is for €800,000, and to be paid back over 15 years.
This money will allow them to carry out the first phase, which will entail the reform of the toilets and the stage area. The rest of the work will be carried out as they obtain subsidies. Precisely, they have €300,000 coming from the Catalan government (the Generalitat), and the Barcelona Provincial Council, in addition to a further €30,000 to improve the accessibility of the toilets.
In addition, there is the possibility that, once they have completed the first phase, they can obtain the activity licence for the renovated space, and then start using the room to obtain income that will allow them to carry out the rest of the work.
The Retiro also doesn’t want to rush the reform work. ‘Not rushing is giving us good results,’ said the Retiro’s president, Franchu Núñez. ‘What we didn’t want was to start work that we couldn’t pay for, and what we won’t do is take out more mortgages. We will work as the subsidies come in.’
The work, according to the initial forecasts, should have started at the end of last year. However, as it was delayed due to bureaucratic reasons, and in the procedures with the construction company and the bank – ‘we are now not in any rush’, Núñez stressed. The idea now is to either start the work after this year’s Film Festival, or even after next year’s Carnival, in order not to interfere with either event.
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