Malaga city council puts music auditorium out to tender with completion forecast for 2031

Although Mayor Francisco de la Torre has promised that the main function of the new facility will be to serve the cultural life of the city, it will also host conferences.

This change of approach has drawn criticism from the music and cultural sectors and from the opposition, which has raised further doubts by revealing the state audit's objection to the transfer of land for its construction to Promálaga (the municipal company that manages Malaga's Fycma fair and trade centre).

De la Torre, however, has guaranteed that the priority for this venue will be concerts, operas and shows. "It will serve the needs of culture," the mayor pledged.

For him, the involvement of Prómalaga in both the construction and management of the auditorium is mostly a financial decision, to reclaim IVA tax on the works (some 40 million euros).

To fund the project on land belonging to the Port of Malaga, the city council has the support of the regional government, which will contribute 25 million, and the provincial authority, which will contribute ten million. The city council will provide 20 million euros.

De la Torre believes there will be no problem securing private funding for a further 100 million. Cajamar has already expressed its willingness to lend its name to the cultural centre and contribute 40 million.

The city council or another private investor will cover the 45 million allocated to the Ministry of Culture (45 million), which has refused to participate in the funding despite having been one of the project's driving forces during its previous term.

The city council hopes that the nine companies that submitted tenders in the preliminary consultation will confirm their interest in the project and compete for the contract in this tender, which the council aims to have finalised and awarded by the start of next year.

The breakdown of the budget per year is "indicative" and subject to adjustments. One of the anticipated changes to the project is its adaptation to host conferences, a use which is not even mentioned at present in the tender.

According to the project, the music auditorium will cover a 30,000-square-metre site. Among other details, the construction contract covers development works for the surrounding area, a 500-space car park and access routes.

Applicant companies are already aware that the winning bid will be the one offering the best value for money, although Promálaga has stipulated that technical aspects and experience should carry greater weight than the financial offer.

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