The mayor, María José García-Pelayo, and the delegate of the Free Trade Zone in Cádiz, Jorge Ramos, signed this morning at City Hall a collaboration protocol to proceed with the comprehensive rehabilitation of the El Portal industrial estate, with a project that has a budget close to 4 million euros and that will serve to comprehensively improve this industrial area with the aim of "consolidating the existing companies there and attracting new investments."
Also present at the event were the first deputy mayor, Antonio Saldaña; the delegate of Economic Impulse, Francisco Cáliz; the delegate of Urban Planning and Mobility, Agustín Muñoz and the councilor responsible for Infrastructure, María José Rúa.
The mayor explained that "the priority objective of this municipal government since the beginning of the legislature has been to clearly commit to the rehabilitation of the El Portal industrial estate, an estate that is one of the oldest in the city and one of the largest with 172 hectares and more than 600 companies located in it, but which is in a state of obvious abandonment."
"With this comprehensive rehabilitation project we want to enhance this Industrial Estate and reinforce its image so that it becomes an attractive place to invest. Our main objective is to consolidate the existing companies in El Portal and attract new companies that generate wealth in the city," said the mayor.
García-Pelayo thanked Zona Franca for its support of the city's projects. "We can say that Zona Franca has finally left Cádiz and has become more provincial and more Jerez-like than ever. We can also say that in the face of agreements such as those signed by the previous socialist government, the current PP government is convinced that Zona Franca is not there for mayors and delegates to have better spaces, but rather it is there to collaborate with entrepreneurs and with projects that can generate wealth and employment."
For his part, the delegate of the Free Zone, Jorge Ramos, has insisted on this same argument, pointing out that "the vocation of the Free Zone is not to carry out ostentatious works but to support projects that serve to create employment, supporting companies and entrepreneurs. In this sense, the Jerez City Council has presented us with two very important projects, that of the old San Agustín barracks and that of the rehabilitation of the El Portal industrial estate, which will generate activity economic”.
Ramos explained that "the El Portal project is an important work of urban regeneration and infrastructure that will alleviate the two main problems of this industrial area, its obvious deterioration and the lack of occupation derived largely from that deterioration."
This El Portal rehabilitation project joins the project carried out by Emusujesa within the framework of the reindustrialization aid plans, Reindus, to improve signage and lighting in the area, works that are already practically completed.
The Free Zone and City Council project has a budget close to 4 million euros, 70% co-financed by the Free Zone with FEDER funds and the remaining 30% by the City Council. The mayor has announced that she is already working on different alternatives in the search for financing formulas that in no case contemplate increased taxes on business owners, explicitly ruling out this option.
As indicated by the Free Trade Zone delegate, the tender for the works will be carried out this year since, after the signing of the collaboration protocol, an executive agreement will be signed to launch the project.
Intervention will be carried out on the three streets of the Polígono, Cantos Ropero, Morocco and South Africa, with works aimed at improving urban infrastructure, paving, potholes, curbs, and services, cleaning green areas, street furniture and service networks.
San Agustín and Plaza Esteve
The mayor and the delegate of the Free Trade Zone have also referred to the projects of the old San Agustín barracks and the Plaza Esteve bus terminal. Regarding the first, Jorge Ramos has indicated that it is going at a “dizzying” pace, since the contracting table has already proceeded to the provisional award of the project that will become final, if all the requirements are met, next week. At that time, a period of 45 days will open for the successful bidder to present the project, allowing work to begin in a short period of time.
In parallel, the Consortium has drafted, awarded and presented to the Culture Delegation of the Government of Andalusia the rehabilitation project to begin the necessary archaeological work prior to the start of the action.
Regarding Plaza Esteve, the mayor explained that "it is a project that will begin in parallel with that of San Agustín. We are holding meetings with merchants in the area, the Central Food Market and with urban buses to achieve the greatest possible consensus on this project, which must be the best from a technical, economic and speed point of view to cause the least damage during the works."