Ourense mobilizes 41.5 million to regenerate the Rexurbe Area of the historic center

The Ourense City Council presents the Dynamization Plan for the Rexurbe Area, which mobilizes 41.5 million euros to reverse the degradation of the historic center. The document, drafted by ESTRATEGA CONSULTING GLOBAL, S.L., is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Ourense on August 28, 2026, in the local entities section.

The figure of Rexurbe areas was created by Law 1/2019, of April 22, on rehabilitation and urban regeneration and renewal of Galicia, for urban areas that require greater involvement from the regional and local administrations. Ourense, whose Historic-Artistic Ensemble was declared in 1975, requests the declaration for an area of 19.5 hectares with 1,065 buildings and 3,121 dwellings, which includes practically the entire historic ensemble and the area adjacent to the Barbaña river.

An investment of 41.5 million

The plan provides for a total investment of 41,589,863 euros, with a multiplier effect of more than 11 euros for every municipal euro invested. The majority of the funding corresponds to the Xunta de Galicia, which provides 52% of the total, while the private sector contributes 29%.

• Xunta de Galicia: 21,566,614 € (52%)
• Private financing: 11,991,206 € (29%)
• Ourense City Council: 3,718,138 € (9%)
• Ourense Provincial Council: 2,418,249 € (6%)
• State: 1,895,655 € (5%)

Diagnosis: a center in degradation

The document states that 59.25% of the buildings in the area are in a ruinous, poor, or deficient state, and that 40.78% of the dwellings are empty. The commercial situation is even more serious: of 960 premises, only 102 are occupied, which represents nearly 90% empty ground-floor shops.

• 3,881 inhabitants in the area (8.8% of the municipality)
• 8 assets of cultural interest (BIC), three in very deficient condition
• 858 empty commercial premises out of 960
• 40.78% empty dwellings

Financing and actors

The plan is articulated in three areas: architectural-urbanistic, economic, and social. Among the actions, the rehabilitation of heritage buildings, the renovation of supply and sanitation networks, and the reactivation of the Praza de Abastos (Market Square) stand out. The drafting team is coordinated by Antonio Paz García, an economist from the University of Santiago de Compostela, and includes profiles in architecture, sociology, and urban planning.

Monitoring and participation

The plan provides for a joint monitoring commission, with three people from the City Council and three from the regional administration, chaired by a representative of the Xunta de Galicia. The commission will meet at least once a year and will ensure the execution of the actions, the review of indicators, and the adaptation of the plan to the social and economic reality of the area.

The plan seeks to curb the depopulation and degradation of a historic center that has lost population and commerce in recent decades. Its execution directly affects residents, merchants, and property owners of the old town, and aspires to make Ourense a benchmark for urban regeneration in Galicia.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Ourense, August 28, 2026, section IV. Local Entities (official reference: 352177).