Port accessThe Port Authority of Bilbao has proceeded with the sale of the building to Bericato, S.L. and, in March, will leave what has been its headquarters for more than 70 years.
The Port Authority of Bilbao has awarded the company Bericato, S.L. the sale of the plot of land and buildings of the Olabarri Palace in Bilbao. Bericato, S.L., linked to the Luze hotel chain, has acquired the emblematic headquarters of the Port Authority for use as a hotel.
The property is located on a plot of land with an approximate surface area of 2,000 m² and a constructed surface area of around 4,200 m². It is made up of two adjoining buildings connected to each other, namely the mansion at Campo Volantín no. 37 and the adjacent functional building at Huertas de la Villa no. 35.
The Palacio Olabarri was built in 1897 and is one of the most unique and architecturally interesting buildings of that period still standing in Bilbao. The building was acquired in 1953 by the Board of Works of the Port of Bilbao as its headquarters, and was subsequently enlarged in 1957.
The sale price was 10,470,798 euros (excluding VAT), the same amount for which it was put up for public auction, though this auction was declared void in June 2023 despite the initial proven interest of several operators. The specifications and applicable regulations provided for the direct award of the contract once the tender process had finished, subject – as has been the case – to the conditions of the sale not being inferior to those of the initial award process, and that this award be agreed within a period of one year from the public call for tenders.
Bericato, S.L. is linked to the Luze hotel chain, which manages the Hotel Luze TORO in Pamplona, Hotel Luze El VILLA in Castejón and Hotel Luze CASTELLANA in Madrid, as well as other catering establishments. Any building, renovation, refurbishment and/or fitting out of the Olabarri Palace must comply with all applicable levels of heritage conservation and architectural protection required by this unique building. In addition, any intervention and/or action inside the building must conserve those elements deemed to be of special historical or heritage value.
Once the sale has been agreed by the Board of Directors of the Port Authority, all the subsequent administrative procedures will be duly carried out to complete the property transaction. In March 2024, the Port Authority is expected to officially leave what has been its headquarters since 1953, although the building has been used for residential purposes for many years now. The entire staff of the Port Authority moved several years ago to the new offices in the Abra Exterior, in the Santurtzi area, where most of the activity of the Port of Bilbao is concentrated.
