The former convent's courtyard as seen in 2019. ÑITO SALAS

Former Malaga city centre convent is back on the market

The owner of what was once the home of Dominican nuns is selling the building after student residence plans floundered

JESÚS HINOJOSA

Friday, 13 January 2023, 12:31

The former convent occupied by the Dominican nuns in Calle Andrés Pérez, in the centre of Malaga city, is once again up for sale. The building has been unoccupied for 17 years, since its previous inhabitants decided to vacate it as their numbers dwindled. It was bought by the language teaching group Enforex, which six years ago renovated a building in Calle Carretería to establish its school in Malaga.

Enforex planned to refurbish it to create a residence for students and applied for planning permission from the council’s urban planning department. However, a delay due to objections from the regional ministry of culture has led its owner to seek a buyer for this fully protected 18th-century building.

SUR has learned that several real estate consultants are offering the building to potential investors, including Salvago Advisors. The guideline price is around 15 million euros. According to sources consulted, several companies are interested in buying the former convent though it cannot be used for housing, hotels or flats. Next to the convent, which has a built surface area of 5,375 square metres, is the church of Santa Catalina.

This is not the first time that Enforex has opted to dispose of a building in Malaga. It also bought a property in the city’s Calle Victoria and had planned to convert it into 21 tourist apartments but was also refused permission. The property was subsequently sold to the company Unión Hiru.