Full steam ahead as Malaga neighbourhood becomes new Puerto Banús

A former neighbourhood of factory workers, fishermen, huts and authentic taverns, is on its way to becoming Malaga city's new Puerto Banús: not bad.

If plans are fulfilled, the definitive quality leap for the Huelin area will occur from the end of the year, when work on the long-awaited San Andrés marina is expected to begin. To put it in perspective, this will be the city's largest marina for medium-length boats. Malaga, paradoxically, despite being built almost entirely along the coastline, suffers from a chronic lack of mooring points.

The luxury shops and yacht club are separate matters, although they add to the atmosphere.

For property owners in nearby streets, it will be as if God had come to visit them. The revaluation of their properties is guaranteed, and you just need to add the appropriate zeros. After all, we're talking about what has been dubbed the "Madrid marina", since the proximity to María Zambrano station will allow boating enthusiasts from the capital and other intermediate cities, like Cordoba or Ciudad Real, to come by train any weekend to take out their boats.

But this renewed atmosphere of leisure and luxury will also bring more gentrification.

If it's already very difficult for the neighbourhood's children to aspire to stay living there, in a few years it will be impossible. And not just because of housing prices, but also because all other services will tend to rise accordingly.

It's an uncomfortable reality that the more the city advances, the harder it becomes for many of its natives to live in it...

It's a debate that must be resolved with more social housing; with innovative housing solutions, like the small apartments for young people that are going to be put on the market; and with better public transport infrastructure, to broaden the city's vision towards the outskirts of Malaga, the metropolitan area that must accommodate the extraordinary population increase and demands for workers in booming sectors.

But what's not acceptable is stopping development and progress for fear of its collateral damage. Because just as it will bring some negative consequences, it will also represent a brutal opportunity to generate wealth, employment and life around the marina that Malaga has never had.

Therefore, welcome to the San Andrés marina, and welcome to the sailors who set course full steam ahead to Huelin...