These are the latest plans for the reopening of iconic Tivoli amusement park on the Costa del Sol

New information has finally been released about the proposed plans for the reopening of the legendary Tivoli amusement park on the Costa del Sol after being closed for several years due to legal and financial wrangles and the Covid pandemic. The project is due to advance this Thursday, when the plenary council session in Bernalmádena is expected to approve the agreement that will allow the redevelopment of one of Andalucía's great leisure symbols.

The document, signed by mayor Juan Antonio Lara and the developer which owns the complex, will allow the construction of a new amusement park slightly larger than the previous one (69,869 square metres), to which a large tourist and commercial complex will be added.

After a period of public consultation, during which opposition politicians and two associations (Benalmádena en Transición and Fundación Democracia) presented objections, which were then rejected by the municipal technicians as "lacking in legal and technical relevance", the agreement will be approved by the governing right-wing Partido Popular. This procedure sets in motion the planning innovation, which must be included in the general urban development plan (PGOU).

The developer will then have three months to present the necessary technical documentation. In the first infographics, it can be seen that the park will be equipped with some legendary attractions such as a big wheel and a free-fall tower and that the shopping and restaurant area will have brands such as Domino's Pizza, Foster's Hollywood, Rodilla or La Tagliatella. However, these deals will be set in stone at a later stage.

In the process, the town hall promises to undertake, "as quickly as possible and until its final approval", the urban transformation required by the project, based on its "relevance and social transcendence". But if the new park is slightly larger than the previous one, how is it possible that the agreement also contemplates the creation of a commercial and tourist complex? The town hall has already allowed the almost tripling in size of the floor area. The mayor has also insisted that Tremón hire the former workers of Tivoli who were affected by its closure in 2020. The developer will also not be able to open the shopping and hotel area without first opening the amusement park: this will either have to happen at the same time or later than the park.

A few days ago, Lara addressed the opposition groups, calling for "a level-headed approach" to support this process, which he considers "another fundamental step towards achieving the reopening of Tivoli that the whole of Benalmádena wants". The mayor stated that "there is no time to lose" and promised to ensure that the park "reopens as soon as possible".

The investment will exceed 100 million euros, but it will, in turn, create many local jobs. Last year, the project was stuck in court proceedings, but the High Court of Justice of Andalucía (TSJA) ultimately ruled in favour of the reopening, despite the attempts of the previous municipal executive - Víctor Navas from the left-wing PSOE party - to prevent the opening of commercial or tourist projects in the area.

The current solution is to both safeguard Tivoli's historic identity as an amusement park and add new activities. Back in 1972, Tivoli's first owner - Dane Bent Olsen - presented the project as "a factory of illusions". Fireworks, a roller coaster, a Chinese pagoda, a lake with boats and almost 20 fountains that offered a spectacle of water, light and sound inaugurated a complex that has alternated golden and languid periods, without losing its status as a leisure reference for several generations of Malaga province residents.

However, the times of Tivoli's splendour are long gone. For decades, it has been shaken by legal conflicts, labour disputes and even a bitter fight over its ownership. Finally, Tremón won the battle and the previous owner - Rafael Gómez, better known as Sandokán - had to give up the park. It was he who bought it from its founder in 2004. However, he quickly encountered issues with redundancy plans, non-payments to social security authorities and neglect of the attractions - a storm that culminated in 2020 with the closure of one of the greatest symbols of the province. That dark period is now behind us with a project that see the iconic attraction return to Benalmádena.