AN ADVISORY SERVICES PANEL REPORT Barcelona Convention Centre Barcelona, Spain Urban L an d $ Ins ti tute Barcelona Convention Centre Barcelona, Spain 7–12 November 1999 An Advisory Services Panel Report ULI–the Urban Land Institute 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W. Suite 500 West Washington, D.C. 20007-5201 About ULI–the Urban Land Institute LI–the Urban Land Institute is a nonprof - owners, investors, architects, public officials, it research and education organization planners, real estate brokers, appraisers, attor - that promotes responsible leadership in neys, engineers, financiers, academicians, stu - U the use of land in order to enhance the dents, and librarians. ULI relies heavily on the environment. experience of its members. It is through member involvement and information resources that ULI The Institute maintains a membership represent - has been able to set standards of excellence in ing a broad spectrum of interests and sponsors a development practice. The Institute has long been wide variety of educational programs and forums recognized as one of America’s most respected and to encourage an open exchange of ideas and shar - widely quoted sources of objective information on ing of experience. ULI initiates research that urban planning, growth, and development. anticipates emerging land use trends and issues and proposes creative solutions based on this This Advisory Services panel report is intended research; provides advisory services; and pub - to further the objectives of the Institute and to lishes a wide variety of materials to disseminate make authoritative information generally avail - information on land use and development. able to those seeking knowledge in the field of urban land use. Established in 1936, the Institute today has some 15,000 members and associates from 50 countries, Richard M. Rosan representing the entire spectrum of the land use President and development disciplines. Professionals repre - sented include developers, builders, property ©2000 by ULI–the Urban Land Institute 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W. Suite 500 West Washington, D.C. 20007-5201 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission of the copy - right holder is prohibited ULI Catalog Number: ASB008 2 An Advisory Services Panel Report About ULI Advisory Services he goal of ULI’s Advisory Services Program to each member and arranging for the panel to is to bring the finest expertise in the real meet with key local community members and estate field to bear on complex land use plan - stakeholders in the project under consideration, T ning and development projects, programs, participants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments and policies. Since 1947, this program has assem - are able to make accurate assessments of a spon - bled well over 400 ULI-member teams to help sor’s issues and to provide recommendations in a sponsors find creative, practical solutions for compressed amount of time. issues such as downtown redevelopment, land management strategies, evaluation of develop - A major strength of the program is ULI’s unique ment potential, growth management, community ability to draw on the knowledge and expertise of revitalization, brownfields redevelopment, mili - its members, including land developers and own - tary base reuse, provision of low-cost and afford - ers, public officials, academicians, representatives able housing, and asset management strategies, of financial institutions, and others. In fulfillment among other matters. A wide variety of public, of the mission of the Urban Land Institute, this private, and nonprofit organizations have contract - Advisory Services panel report is intended to pro- ed for ULI’s Advisory Services. vide objective advice that will promote the respon - Each panel team is composed of highly qualified sible use of land to enhance our environment. professionals who volunteer their time to ULI. They are chosen for their knowledge of the panel ULI Project Staff topic and screened to ensure their objectivity. Marta V. Goldsmith ULI panel teams are interdisciplinary and typi - Vice President, Land Use Policy cally include several developers, a landscape architect, a planner, a market analyst, a finance Mary Beth Corrigan expert, and others with the niche expertise need - Director, Advisory Services ed to address a given project. ULI teams provide Lynn Zayac a holistic look at development problems. Each Coordinator, Meetings and Events panel is chaired by a respected ULI member with previous panel experience. Nancy H. Stewart Director, Book Program The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is in- tensive. It includes an in-depth briefing day com - Julie D. Stern posed of a tour of the site and meetings with Manuscript Editor sponsor representatives; a day and a half of hour- Betsy Van Buskirk long interviews of typically 80 to 100 key commu - Art Director nity representatives; and a day and a half of for - mulating recommendations. Many long nights of Meg Batdorff discussion precede the panel’s conclusions. On the Cover Design final day on site, the panel makes an oral presen - Martha Loomis tation of its findings and conclusions to the spon - Desktop Publishing Specialist sor. At the request of the sponsor, a written re- port is prepared and published. Kim Rusch Graphics Because the sponsoring entities are responsible for significant preparation before the panel’s vis- Diann Stanley Austin it, including sending extensive briefing materials Director, Publishing Operations Barcelona, Spain, 7–12 November 1999 3 Acknowledgments he panel would like to thank the sponsors Spain, Hines/Diagonal Mar; Raimon Martinez for the opportunity to visit Barcelona and Fraile, general manager, Turisme de Barcelona; assist in addressing this very complex Josep Antonio Acebillo, CEO, Barcelona Region - T issue. The community is to be commended al; and Jaime Sodupe, chief executive director, for the hard work it has done thus far, and for Forum of the Cultures: Barcelona 2004. its efforts to keep Barcelona one of the great- The panel also would like to acknowledge the est cities in Europe and the world. The panel is efforts of the staff of Barcelona Regional, espe - thankful to the many people who provided sub - cially Miguel Sodupe for his guidance throughout stantial insights into the issues related to a poten- the process and for the thorough briefing he pro - tial convention centre in Barcelona. It specifically vided to the panel; Philip Moyersoen for compil - would like to thank Mayor Joan Clos, First Dep- ing the briefing materials and working with ULI uty Mayor Xavier Casas, and the entire Barce- staff to make the panel’s week in Barcelona go so lona City Council; Antoni Negre Villavecchia, smoothly; and Yvonne Cifuentes for her tireless president of Cambra Oficial de Comerc, Indústria administrative support. I Navigació (Chamber of Commerce); Enrique Lacalle, Spanish state delegate, El Consorci de la The panel also thanks all those who came to be Zona Franca de Barcelona; Adolf Cabruja Mar - interviewed and who shared their views, opin - tinez, general manager, Fira de Barcelona (Bar- ions, and desires for this project. celona Fair); Jay Wyper, executive director, Hines 4 An Advisory Services Panel Report Contents ULI Panel and Project Staff 6 Overview and Summary of Recommendations 7 Market Potential 9 Planning and Design 15 Marketing and Implementation 24 Financing and Funding 28 Conclusions 34 About the Panel 35 Barcelona, Spain, 7–12 November 1999 5 ULI Panel and Project Staff Panel Chair David Petersen Consultant James De Francia Belleaire, Florida President Lowe Enterprises, Inc. Clé van Beurden Vienna, Virginia Director of European Development Trammell Crow Nederland Panel Members Je Nieuwegein, Netherlands Ahmeena Young Matthew Cushing Berry Vice President of Marketing and Sales President Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority International Co-operation Networking Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Association Bievres, France ULI Project Director Daniel Brents Vice President Mary Beth Corrigan Gensler Director Houston, Texas Advisory Services Cheryl Cummins ULI On-Site Coordinators Executive Vice President ULI–the Urban Land Institute Lynn Zayac Washington, D.C. Coordinator Meetings and Events William D’Elia Director of Development EDAW, Inc. San Francisco, California William Kistler Managing Director Equinox International London, England Thomas Liegler Consultant Rancho Santa Fe, California Wil Neijmann Managing Director l ECOR Amsterdam, Netherlands 6 An Advisory Services Panel Report Overview and Summary of Recommendations he panel was charged with evaluating the Location map. proposed convention centre plan for Barce- lona’s Diagonal Mar site and evaluating the G T convention/congress market for the city. Bilbao The sponsor directed a number of specific ques - tions regarding market potential, design char- SPAIN G acteristics, marketing and management, and L L Barcelona AA finance to the panel. Following five days of study, GG Madrid # UU the panel has addressed those specific questions TT RR G Valencia in its efforts to evaluate the proposed convention OO centre. # PP Lisbon Two points regarding the site and the proposed G Cordoba G Sevilla Forum of Cultures: Barcelona 2004 (Forum 2004) are critical to the panel’s findings. # Gibraltar The Site The panel recognises the importance of the pro - posed convention centre site in the general urban er available land and taking into consideration its context. This site is a key element of the Avenida desire to continue revitalization efforts in this Diagonal and beach connection, and a focal point section of the city. The panel recognises and ap- of the arc of the bay. It also has the potential for plauds the city’s efforts to redevelop its north - being the “gateway” to the northeastern section eastern section. While the site for the proposed of the city. It is a site of natural prominence. convention centre is constrained by its size and This site represents a broad range of challenges expansion options, it is appropriate for the intend- and opportunities, most of which are reviewed in ed use and the panel has developed recommen- this site report.