Simon Wade
TRANSFORMING part of Benidorm’s famous Levante Beach into a greener, healthier sustainable area will cost upwards of half a billion euros.
Clearing, preparing and building a network of housing, high-rise hotels and public gardens will need investment of some 570 million euros, according to the Benidorm Levante Ensanche Plan.
Provisional support from Benidorm City Council has been approved and developers are waiting for a further announcement from the regional government, Generalitat Valenciana.
The current landowners, part of the Urban Interest Group (AIU), claim that the Master Plan has reached a crucial point after overcoming the opinions and objections of various local and regional councils.
A spokesperson said that the development will, “definitively put an end to the degradation of this important area of Benidorm and become an extension of Levante, characterised by its tall buildings that free up large areas for public facilities, roads and green areas.”
IMAGE SOURCE: ComunicAlicante
Their own studies have shown initial ground preparation costs will be up to 70 million euros,.
After that, the hotels, residential buildings, shops and public green spaces will cost another 500 million euros.
Building could start in two years
Final approvals from the Valencian and City Councils are expected later this year.
Once final plans have been further costed, urbanisation and dividing the land into plots could begin in 2023.
Some 175,000 square metres of land will be kept as green areas and facilities, with another 21,000 square metres for educational use.
Benidorm City Councillor for Urban Planning, Lourdes Caselles, admitted: “It is a plan that reflects the spirit of urban planning in Benidorm giving life to the municipalities, around an immense green area.”
