Experts find "major flaws" in old town hall building set to be made into a gourmet market

Engineers who have been overseeing the remodelling of the old Torremolinos town hall, which will be converted into a gourmet market, have warned of the serious risk of collapse facing the building.

The town hall has announced it will conduct an investigation to find out when and why four support pillars had been removed from the building located on Plaza de la Independencia. This serious structural deficiency, highlighted by the experts, has forced an adjustment of the budget for the project, funded by the Diputación provincial government. The town hall will foot the bill for the missing pillars, estimated to be around 60,000 euros.

Work on the old town hall started in February. The demolition of a wall which was supposed to have hidden the support pillars revealed that they had been removed at some point, according to deputy mayor Maribel Tocón.

Workers put at risk

Tocón went on to say that the state of the building had put those working on the project and anyone in the vicinity of the building at risk and that the investigation would look at who authorised the dangerous works so that they could be held accountable.

The provincial authority has already invested 329,000 euros in the project which is due to be complete in November this year.

A market again

The works will return the building to its original use as a market and will sell products that are part of the 'Sabor a Málaga' (taste of Malaga) brand.

More than 20 people will be employed in the new market.