Costco, the second-largest supermarket chain in the world, sets date for its arrival on the Costa del Sol

The project to relaunch the Málaga Nostrum shopping centre with the construction of a Costco supermarket on the site currently occupied by the cinema is still not ay closer to becoming a reality after more than two years of administration. However, the owners of the retail park, Seville-based Bogaris group, are confident they will soon obtain the necessary planning permission to launch the first phase of this operation, which will consist of adapting what was the former Conforama furniture shop to house the cinema area, which will be smaller in size.

Head of Costco for Spain and France, Diane Tucci, recently spoke with mayor Francisco de la Torre and reaffirmed her commitment to Malaga. Costco is considered to be the second largest supermarket chain in the world after Walmart and above Carrefour, which is in third position.

Javier Martín, general manager of Bogaris, told SUR everything is ready for the works to start this year. "In two or three weeks we expect to receive the planning permission from the city hall for the first phase of the project," said Martín, who is confident it can start in September.

The refurbishment of the former Conforama furniture shop, designed by architect Salvador Moreno Peralta, required the prior processing of an urban planning study to be able to increase the current height of the building by 1.65 metres in order to be able to accommodate the screening rooms. This study has already been approved and now all that remains to be done is to obtain the building permit, which, according to the head of Bogaris, "is only awaiting the concession".

From then on, work will start on the new cinemas, which will last for a year. Once the current cinema building has been vacated, it will be demolished.

If there are no issues, the new cinemas could open next year and the current cinemas will be demolished, with Costco to start building its shopping centre on the plot, designed by architect Antxon Taberna from the firm Técnicos Consultores.

When could the store be finished? According to Javier Martín, the American chain's intention is to build it within nine or ten months. In this case, it would not have to wait for the planning permission because it has already been granted since April last year, so construction would start immediately once the cinemas have been demolished.

The planned schedule is for Costco to open in Malaga in 2026. Although the overall investment of the entire refurbishment of the Málaga Nostrum centre will exceed 60 million euros, the work to be carried out by Costco is valued at 18.3 million. The new hypermarket, with a car park of 640 parking spaces, will also have a restaurant area, toilets, optical and audiometric areas, as well as offices.

Bogaris said he is confident that before this summer the town planning approval will be granted for another project that goes hand in hand with Costco's arrival in the area, the construction of a petrol station also managed by this American chain. It will be built on the site resulting from the demolition of one of the commercial warehouses on the block where Conforama was located. Bogaris' intention is to hand over to Costco next year the plots available for the hypermarket and the fuel filling station, after the corresponding demolitions.