Malaga's Perchel district to become home to three-bedroom luxury flats for over one million euros

The site, which previously housed tenement blocks that were demolished following a protracted eviction process lasting several years, will house a block of 138 luxury homes, designed by Malaga-based HCP and Teresa Sapey.

Sales of the flats begins this Friday, handled by the consultancy firm ON3, which will start by drawing from a waiting list of over 500 interested parties, more than 90 per cent of whom are from Malaga.

The prices announced so far range from 390,500 euros (including IVA) for a 55-square-metre studio flat to 1,072,500 euros for a 130-square-metre three-bedroom flat. One-bedroom flats (80 square metres) will cost 445,000 euros and two-bedroom flats (105 square metres) will cost 522,500 euros.

All include a storage room and a parking space. There will also be four-bedroom duplex flats and penthouses with spacious terraces, but Dazia has not yet disclosed the prices for these units.

Dazia managing director Leticia Pérez believes that work can begin before next summer, with a completion timeframe of around two years. The company applied for the necessary planning permission from the urban planning department several months ago.

However, the granting of this permit remains dependent on the regional ministry of culture, which has to decide what to do with the abundant archaeological remains found during the trial excavations on the plots between Calle Malpica and Calle Montalbán.

The remains once belonged to the Islamic suburb of Attabanim, which flourished from the late 11th century through to the 14th century. Unlike other spontaneously developed settlements, the findings revealed an urban layout planned by the ruling elite of the time, with residential dwellings ranging from 100 to 200 square metres.

The complex stands out for its architectural refinement, characterised by spacious central patios, kitchens with floors designed for continuous use, waste disposal systems and advanced infrastructure such as a network of wells and pipes for the supply of running water.

Leticia Pérez believes that the regional ministry's ruling will not hinder the construction of the underground car parks, as she is willing to incorporate some of the remains found into the development.

This residential development is divided into two buildings, separated by a pedestrian street that will follow the route of what was once Calle Huerto de la Madera. From this pedestrian street, which may be decorated with works by local artists or old images of El Perchel, there will be access to the entrances of the buildings, which will feature internal patios.

"We have sought to maintain respect for tradition from a modern perspective. This project does not copy traditional architecture. Rather, it adopts its principles to create a contemporary way of living," HCP architect Alejandro Pérez says.

The development, under the Darya Homes brand, will feature a south-facing outdoor rooftop swimming pool with a sunbathing area covering more than 200 square metres; two spaces for remote working on the ground floor; a gym with a yoga and Pilates studio; a sauna with a contrast shower; and a halotherapy room, amongst other facilities.

It will offer a mobile app through which future residents will be able to book communal areas, report issues, make use of parcel delivery services and chat with the property managers, whose day-to-day operations will be overseen by a "building coordinator".

The director of Dazia says that this project will cost a total of 60 million euros. It is complemented by a separate building comprising 51 flats, which will be constructed on a smaller plot (507 square metres) between Calle Malpica, Calle Arco and Calle Angosta del Carmen.

Although the licence applied is for an 'aparthotel', Leticia Pérez says that it will be geared towards a 'flexliving' concept, for stays of several months in the city, rather than primarily for tourist use.

That apartment block will be one storey plus three storeys high, the same height as the residential buildings in the inner part of the development, that is, on the facades facing Malpica and Arco streets and on the new pedestrian street that will connect the latter with Callejones del Perchel. On this street and towards Montalbán, the new buildings will reach a height of ground floor plus five stories.

This residential project was launched five years ago when the old blocks of rental flats were acquired by Dazia with the aim of demolishing them to make way for new developments. They were put on the market for 14 million euros.

Their demolition was a slow process that forced many families to find somewhere else to live, with the developer negotiating compensation packages with long-term tenants to persuade them to leave their homes.

A key figure in this process was Francisco Gutiérrez 'Guti', the well-known trade union leader, who was present at Thursday's event and played a particularly important role in mediating to ensure the most dignified and viable solution possible for the families who had to leave their flats.

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