Rob Horgan
A STRING of buildings have been torn down in the historic centre of Estepona, to make way for an underground car park and a brand new hotel.
Major regeneration of the Old Town has been put into motion as the town hall continues its plans to boost tourism.
Two cafes and a number of small shops have been torn down off of the quaint Plaza de las Flores to make way for a 740 m2 hotel.
The 42-bedroom Maravilla Palace cost private investors €10 million and will be the first 4-star hotel to be built in the Old Town.
It brings the number of hotel beds in Estepona to over 3,000.
Meanwhile, a €1.2 million underground car park is being installed at the Plaza Antonio Gerrero (AKA Plaza del Huevo), which has seen the iconic egg-shaped bandstand demolished.
Spread over three floors, it will be Estepona’s first reduced-price public car park, with a fee of just €1 per day.
Disruption to electricity and water supplies in nearby houses has been intermittent since work began on the 100-vehicle capacity car park last month.
And the regeneration is not limited to the Old Town.
Estepona Town Hall has also recently sold a €25 million plot by the marina to representatives of two companies, one being an American consortium.
The plans show five buildings of eight stories are set to go up, each with the possibility of underground parking and a penthouse on top. In total, they will comprise 890 residential units.
Estepona has done brilliantly recently with sensitive developments in and around the town, from the iconic Orchidarium to the stunning flowerpot lined streets.
However, you have to question the development near the Marina referred to at the foot of this article which if it goes ahead could turn one of the most beautiful beaches; Playa del Cristo, in to a Fuengirola style eyesore.
Surely a development more sympathetic to its surroundings would be more in keeping with the recent development successes within Estepona?
A petition is asking for a public consultation in to the plans which presently include eight storey apartment buildings plus penthouses and parking and also 4 areas of locales totaling in excess of 35,000 m2, directly overlooking Playa del Cristo which will have a dramatic impact upon the surrounding area and local residents alike.
People will accept that the Marina area will improve if some form of development goes ahead but that it should be sensitive to the surroundings and also comply with all necessary legislation and regulations.
The petition can be found at the following link and has nearly 400 supporters already and it has only been active for just over 1 week.
http://www.change.org/p/junta-de-andaluc-a-do-not-ruin-playa-del-cristo?recruiter=244585771&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive
Please could you pass it along / or share on Facebook also.
Spain never learns does it.
Not an “old town” anymore then, is it?