The mayor, María José García Pelayo, accompanied by the first deputy mayor and delegate of Urban Planning, Antonio Saldaña, has signed a collaboration agreement with the undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Finance and Public Administrations, Pilar Platero Sanz, and the special delegate of the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, Jorge Ramos, for the rehabilitation of the old convent of San Agustín and its conversion into a Business and Business Services Center.
The signing ceremony was also attended by the subdelegate of the Government in the province of Cádiz, Javier de la Torre, the municipal Government team, members of the Municipal Corporation, the City Council technicians who have worked on the projects as well as representatives of the economic, associative and social fabric of the city.
The event, which was chaired by Pilar Platero, began with the presentation of the project by the Urban Planning delegate, Antonio Saldaña, who was in charge of announcing the details of the planned actions in both the old convent of San Agustín like in Plaza Esteve. Subsequently, the agreement was signed, with the mayor, the special delegate of the Free Zone and the undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Finance and Public Administrations signing their signatures.
After this event, the Special delegate of the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, Jorge Ramos Aznar, spoke, who expressed his satisfaction with the signing of an agreement, "which settles the important debt that the Free Trade Zone had with Jerez." "Today we begin to pay that debt with the city and it is demonstrated that in times of crisis, of economic difficulty, collaboration, coordination and loyalty between institutions is more necessary than ever and this agreement is the result of this, that three administrations have knew and wanted to join forces to undertake an entrepreneurial initiative, which is what is needed at this time,” said Ramos.
The head of the Consortium has highlighted the double value that the future Business Center will have for Jerez, highlighting that “on the one hand, it will mean the architectural recovery of the property –the convent of San Agustín - which is the hallmark of the city; and, on the other hand, and at the same time, it will be an instrument so that entrepreneurs can undertake business projects that serve to create employment and wealth in Jerez and its surroundings.”
During his speech, Ramos highlighted employment as the axis of his management and, in this sense, stated that “for there to be employment it is necessary for there to be companies; and for there to be companies there need to be entrepreneurs. For this reason and so that this can materialize, Zona Franca makes available to entrepreneurs a magnificent platform from which to operate and launch their initiatives.”
After Jorge Ramos' presentation, the mayor, María José García-Pelayo, took the floor to thank both the Free Trade Zone and the central government for their collaboration, “a support that has served to make actions that will mean everything a reality. an economic boost for the city.”
During her speech, the councilor highlighted that "in the development of the San Agustín project, two premises have been taken into account: austerity and the benefits that accrue to the city as a whole." According to these lines of work, he has made it clear that “the agreement signed today is a productive investment that benefits Jerez and the people of Jerez.” “We have opted for investments that generate employment, wealth, added value and that do not represent a burden on municipal budgets. In this case it is an investment that is entirely borne by the Free Trade Zone with European funds (ERDF funds) and by the Consortium itself,” he added.
Regarding the Business Center, the councilor pointed out that “the experience in other cities confirms that these centers are very successful, work very well and allow small self-employed workers, who, we must not forget, represent 95 percent of the fabric productive, having your own space that adapts to your needs, and with common spaces such as meeting rooms or auditoriums. All this at very competitive prices.”
García-Pelayo has especially addressed downtown merchants. “I know that the vendors of the Mercado de Abastos, the commerce and the hospitality industry in the center are having a hard time and are making a great effort to get ahead and, therefore, I insist on counting on your collaboration so that we all benefit from this important investment. . I want to send a message of confidence to all those who may be affected by the works during the time that the remodeling works last. And I want you to know that we are going to hold as many meetings as are necessary so that their impact, if any, is the minimum necessary.” the mayor has stressed.
The councilor concluded her speech with a message of confidence. “To conclude, I wish to convey a message of hope and confidence because we are clear that Jerez is one of the most important cities in Spain and, as such, it should occupy a prominent place. Therefore, projects, like the one we have presented to you today, are what give us the strength and enthusiasm to continue working the hours needed in Jerez.”
The event closed with the intervention of the Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Finance and Public Administrations. Pilar Platero highlighted in her speech that “the creation of a Business Center responds to three basic objectives that must always be present in the actions of all administrations.” In this sense he has referred to “collaboration between public administrations; to the efficient use of public resources by making them available to citizens; and finally the interest in promoting the economic development of the area, with special emphasis on job creation.”
For the Undersecretary of State, this collaboration means that "the General Administration of the State makes available some spaces, in which the Cádiz Free Trade Zone Consortium is going to establish a Business Center and the Jerez City Council will facilitate and expedite the procedures for the start-up of this Center.”
In his speech he highlighted that "Jerez, due to its location and nearby infrastructure, is an important logistics center in western Andalusia, making it an ideal location for this project." “The Free Zone of Cádiz, in its purpose of promoting the economic-social development of the area, has the capacity to launch a Business Center, this building of the old convent of San Agustín being the ideal setting for this. And the Ministry of Finance and Public Administrations, as manager of the State's assets, is responsible for its proper use, always at the service of citizens," he stressed.
Likewise, he explained that "this project is also an example, as I said, of the proper use of public resources." “The Ministry, within the framework of the savings and austerity measures implemented, has developed a plan to rationalize and optimize the use of state-owned properties. Our objective is to ensure that the State's assets are managed more efficiently, reducing costs, which will allow us to free up resources and even obtain income from unused properties."
Likewise, he explained that "one of the axes of this plan is the optimization of the use of public buildings, giving these spaces an ideal use." As he commented, "this agreement guarantees that a part of the convent of San Agustín, which is a space that had not been properly valued, will be used for an economic and social purpose of great repercussion, with special attention to the generation of employment in the area and will also allow the rehabilitation of a part of the historic center that will renew and update the entire environment aesthetically and functionally, taking advantage of an already existing infrastructure.”
Finally, he agreed that "the creation of this Business Center, the subject of the agreement, will have a direct relationship with the economic development, not only of Jerez, but of a large geographical area of the province of Cádiz." “It is very gratifying to participate in a project like this, which sets an ambitious but feasible objective and whose results we hope will materialize in a short period of time," he concluded.
Project characteristics
Antonio Saldaña has been in charge of explaining in detail the actions that will be carried out within the framework of this agreement. The Urban Planning delegate has highlighted that this project meets the three main objectives of the municipal government "to improve the economic situation of the City Council, since an investment of seven million euros is made from the FEDER funds and the consortium itself; "Offer quality services to citizens with new equipment that will give life to the center and promote economic growth, with public investment that generates activity and wealth."
San Agustín rehabilitation project
The Urban Planning delegate has explained in detail the project, which will have an execution period of 18 months, which will enable the comprehensive rehabilitation of the old convent and the urban reorganization of Plaza Esteve. The rehabilitation of the convent will mean that Jerez has a state-of-the-art, modern and functional building. Among the technical data of the project, it can be highlighted that it increases from two to three floors in height, with a floor area of 1,714 square meters and a constructed area of 4,530 square meters.
The 50 offices will have a surface area between 15 and 60 square meters and the building will also have multiple-use and shared meeting rooms with spaces intended to support the established companies. It is a building that will symbolize the historical Jerez and the Jerez of the future through two elements, stone and glass.
The project also contemplates the rehabilitation of the main cloister and the annex building, the recovery of the original state of the building and aesthetic adaptation, of the patio of the main cloister as a multifunctional space covered by a state-of-the-art glass vault.
The project also includes the redevelopment of Puerto Street to adapt it to the new uses of the old convent with the creation of a roundabout, a median, an urban bus and tourist bus stop and the exterior development of the building. As well as the reorganization of Plaza Esteve to highlight such an emblematic space in the center as the Central Food Market.
