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Eugenio Cabezas
Torre del Mar
Monday, 26 August 2024, 21:22
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The project to build a brand-new theatre in Torre del Mar on the eastern stretch of the Costa del Sol began in September 2022 on a municipal plot of land located next to the Eduardo Hernández indoor swimming pool. However, there has been no activity since the metal framework for the future culture centre was erected, due to an increase in its construction costs.
The building project was divided into four lots and contracts were awarded just two years ago for a total of 7.72 million euros. Now the planned investment is estimated to be 12 million euros, which is almost 36 per cent more than initially planned. This was acknowledged at the last Vélez-Málaga town hall meeting by councillor David Vilches in response to criticism from the spokesperson for the main opposition party, Andalucía por Sí, José Pino.
"It is not the 18 or 20 million that José Pino says," Vilches replied, defending “the need” for Torre del Mar to have a theatre. In Vélez-Málaga the rehabilitation of the old Lope de Vega theatre is under way for five million euros and there is already the Carmen theatre, with a capacity of just 300 seats, which is insufficient for a population of over 85,000 inhabitants.
Work to the new Torre del Mar theatre has been at a standstill since the end of summer, after the execution of the first phase, corresponding to the foundations and structure of the future stage. The reason? The increase in construction costs compared to the date on which the second of the project's lots, the largest, was awarded in February 2022.
The contract for he second phase, which was to build the theatre was awarded to the Andalusian company Constructora Molina e Hijos S.L. for just under 3.8 million euros. However, the firm has failed to start them, as it has warned town hall that the increase in costs has meant that they now cost 50% more, increasing to around six million euros. Faced with this situation, the town hall is now looking at its options, which include the possibility of terminating this contract to modify this phase of the project and put it out to tender again.
“The problem is that this is a 24-month phase of the works and the company cannot risk starting the works with such tight costs,’ explained Vilches, who estimated that the cost of this second phase will be around six million euros.
Thus, the first phase has already cost 1.1 million euros and was completed by Proyectos e Infraestructuras Zambana S. L., the initial cost was to be 2.2 million euros, but it rose to just over 3.3 million, “based on unforeseeable and unforeseen circumstances that have caused an unusual price increase in recent months and, specifically, from the time of the tender of the contract in July 2021,” according to the town hall.
The future cultural facilities will have 550 seats. The third lot corresponds to the equipment of bathrooms, seats, office furniture and other furnishings, at a cost of 165,081 euros, which will be provided by Ascender S. L. Finally, the fourth lot is the stage equipment, estimated at 1.5 million euros. The company Chemtrol División Teatro has been awarded the contract.
Opposition Vox spokesman Javier Herreros has expressed his criticism of what he considers “a waste of municipal funds”. He said that “it is unacceptable that 12 million euros should be spent on a theatre in Torre del Mar, when there are much more urgent needs that remain unresolved”.
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