Following the closure, in 2012 the City Council began the process of designating the Tres Xemeneies and the former turbine hall as Cultural Assets of Local Interest. Driven by citizen activism and technical studies, the process continued until 2016 due to its administrative complexity and the debate over the urban future of the waterfront. Finally, the municipal council approved the final designation, granting legal protection to the site and preventing its demolition. The measure cemented its recognition as industrial heritage and a symbol of Sant Adrià’s social and environmental memory.