The Mercacentro in Fuengirola is struggling to get off the ground: the building works are expected to take twice as long as planned

The date initially set for completion of the project was July 2025. However, technical problems that arose during the works meant the project had to be modified and the building work temporarily halted. The budget rose from 12.98 to 14 million euros, largely because the basement floor slab, on which the new building was to be constructed, was not as expected and there was a risk that it would not be able to support the structure. Work resumed in April 2025, following several months’ interruption, with a new schedule allowing for a construction period of 549 days. When added to the period that had elapsed prior to the suspension, the total timeframe rose to 999 days, and the deadline set for completion of the project was moved to 1 October 2026. However, this deadline has not been met either.

The town council acknowledges that the project has faced a number of difficulties which have affected both its progress and the pace of its implementation: “There have been problems with the structure, which led to changes to the project. There have also been issues with the supply of materials. And, above all, with the companies forming the joint venture," explain municipal sources, who assure that all these issues have now been "resolved" and have been brought to the attention of the market stallholders, who have been directly affected by the delay in the new facilities becoming operational.

A document signed on 26 October by the municipal architect suggests that the project is entering a new phase: the town council is “processing a new document as a technical amendment”, the engineer said at the time. The document justifies this on the grounds of “improvements to materials and installations”, without giving further details, other than to state that the decision was taken following a meeting with the technical management of the joint venture. The architect assures that this technical amendment to the project “does not entail any increase in the budget”, but does involve “the introduction of a new schedule for the execution and completion of the works”. Despite this, the town council merely emphasises that “for several weeks now, the works have been showing a marked improvement” after “a large part of these problems have been resolved” and puts the completion of the works “in the first half of 2027”.

Furthermore, the progress reports show that this latest delay had been on the cards for months. In May, warnings were issued that deadlines were not being met and that there was a lack of resources, and on 21 August an updated schedule was requested after it was noted that delays were continuing. These warnings are being cited by the political group Hacemos Fuengirola to demand that the town council explain “what measures were taken and why the work was not completed on time”. Added to all this, shortly afterwards, structural defects came to light, forcing work to be halted, with an agreement to resume work on 23 September. “Mercacentro cannot become a project with no end date. Traders, local residents and those who use the market need to know when they will be able to use it again,” argues the group’s spokesperson, José Miguel López España.

The new Mercacentro represents a complete transformation of the old municipal market. The building will have a floor area of over 11,000 square metres and its facilities will be spread across several floors. The ground floor will be dedicated to the traditional market, with 39 stalls; the first floor will house catering facilities and a business incubator, whilst the top floor will feature a terrace. The building will also have an underground car park and a dedicated area for loading and unloading.

One of the distinctive features of the building is the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) in much of its structure, an industrialised solution designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce the building’s environmental impact. The project thus aims to transform the market into a leading commercial and gastronomic hub in the centre of Fuengirola, expanding the uses of the former municipal facility.