Hard Rock to invest €2.5 billion in BCN World casino, hotel and entertainment resort

Barcelona (CNA).- Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and the Catalan government’s vice president, Oriol Junqueras, received this Wednesday a visit from Hard Rock’s president Hamish Dodds and the company’s vice president, Nelson Parker. They both expressed the multinational’s interest in setting up a Tourist Integrated Centre in BCN World, which would represent a 2.5-billion-euro investment. However, Puigdemont and Junqueras explained to them that the BCN World project is currently on ‘stand-by’ as the government is trying to find the greatest consensus possible amongst the different parties and institutions involved. The $6 billion BCN World holiday resort project is supposed to be built on the 800 hectares surrounding the Port Aventura theme park (on the Costa Daurada, near Tarragona), but the definitive urban plan hasn’t been approved yet.

In a press conference right after the meeting, Catalan government spokeswoman Neus Munté emphasised the government’s will to “enhance the social and political consensus” around BCN World. Munté also highlighted radical left pro-independence CUP’s appreciation and assured that the project is not only based on gambling. “Only 6% of BCN World will be casinos” she explained and defined BCN World as a business tourism resort. Moreover, according to the investors, the project will generate many new jobs in an area which “has been especially punished” by the economic crisis despite having an “excellent” location, explained Munté.

A possible consultation with the local community

In order to gain political and social support and get to know the opinions of the citizens of the local community, President Puigdemont announced the possibility of holding a consultation in the area where BCN world is set to be built.

“If we should hold a consultation with the local community in order to solve the different interpretations, we are committed to doing so” assured Puigdemont in an interview with Catalan TV station 8tv. The Catalan President emphasised that CUP, one of the main parties opposing BCN World “is not governing” and described the project’s “huge strategical importance for the Catalan economy”. He also assured that an important part of the community in which BCN world is set to be built “is really waiting for it” as the area has been “strongly punished by unemployment”.

“The investors are serious and solvent” he explained and the project “has evolved in the right direction”, as casinos will represent only 6% of the whole resort. “The definitive urban plan hasn’t been approved yet, there is still a final stretch to go through but the project is alive” he explained. “I believe is an opportunity which shouldn’t be missed”.