Green light for 1,000 new homes and green areas to the north of abandoned Los Álamos hotel in Torremolinos

A major urban development project has been approved in Torremolinos, shifting away from a previously planned golf course to include housing, commercial areas, and green spaces.

The regional government's decision responds to the town hall's change of mind, which replaces a planned golf course with a broader, mixed-use urban development, without fully rejecting the idea of sports activities as well. This expansion, opposite the Los Álamos hotel, will transform a strip of land bordered to the north by consolidated urban land, known as the El Olivar development, to the south and southeast by the AP-7 and the MA-20, and to the west by the Cortijo de Maza.

The Junta's environmental delegation has studied three options for development, finally choosing the most favourable - the second one, which contemplates the construction of 1,000 new homes, plus some 13,000 square metres of commercial space and some 10,500 square metres for private sports facilities.

The modification of the initial plan foresees both the original idea of developing the land as a golf course and the freeing up of a huge plot for sports activities of another type: football, tennis and athletics.

In addition, it demands improvements in road infrastructure, with more space for pedestrians and green areas to offer a relief from the heat.

The commercial use, which at no point should exceed the residential aim of the new plan, seeks to develop a network of nearby businesses, which would reduce the need for travel.

Other institutions have raised some concerns with regard to the project. The general directorate of civil aviation has warned that the project and nearby water stream might attract birds, which could endanger aircraft operations, given the closeness to the airport. Aside from that, the regional government is also calling for environmental protection and water-saving measures. Additionally, the department of culture is requesting that the Cortijo de Maza aqueduct be preserved, once its exact path is identified.

Another concern has been raised by the Malaga branch of the Ministry of Transport due to the lack of a traffic and capacity study to analyse the impact this new development will have on the nearby motorways.