Port of Malaga will submit luxury tower hotel project to Spain's central government at end of this year
The proposal presented in March by the Qatari developers and Hoteles Hesperia is currently being studied by technicians at the Port Authority
After several months with hardly any news, apart from the occasional tussle between the governing and opposition teams at the city hall, president of the Malaga Port Authority Carlos Rubio has updated the current situation on the proposed luxuty hotel tower project.
The future building on the Levante quay, designed by Pritzker prize-winner David Chipperfield from the UK, was first presented to the Port Authority for assessment and approval on 6 March.
Developers Hesperia and the Qatari investment fund Al Alfia fulfilled their commitment to the Port Authority to present the complete urban and economic plan. They have reserved the design of the façade at least until the building is approved.
The Port Authority is still studying the proposal. Rubio said that engineers and the finance department are working on the assessment.
Project sent to Puertos del Estado
Rubio said the project must fit within the authorised parameters in the area and the environmental authorisation. If the report is positive, the aim is for the complete project, together with the assessment, to be sent to the Puertos del Estado, which reports to the Ministry of Transport by the end of the year.
Central government will take over the project at the end of the year after the evaluation of the Port Authority of Malaga
The ministry will then have to make its own assessment. The final authorisation, if this report is also favourable, will be given by Spain's cabinet meeting of top government ministers. From that moment on, the deadlines will depend on the ministry, as the initiative will be outside the scope of the Port Authority.
Rubio recalled a statement made by Spain's minister of transport Óscar Puente that the cabinet cannot approve the project before the two appeals lodged against it are resolved. Therefore, the progress of the Torre del Puerto is still subject to judicial decisions.
