CONSTRUCTION of Fuengirola’s new Mercacentro will start on January 22 at a cost of over €12 million.
The project has been funded by a surplus in the local council’s budget during the 2022 financial year and the building will be completed by spring 2025.
Fuengirola mayor, Ana Mula said: “The old market area will be converted into an avant-garde, innovative and sustainable emblem of the city.”
Mula enthused that the new Mercacentro will be the ‘icon of the new Fuengirola’.
“This will be a modern, attractive space, which will be a symbol of the dynamism and economic and business strength that our town is experiencing, bringing an extraordinary boost in the economy and job creation,” she added.
The structure will be built with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), which is an industrialised and treated wood that works very well in places of constant temperature and humidity such as Fuengirola.
It is regarded as the most eco-friendly material used in building construction.
The Mercacentro will have several floors including a basement car park, and another for loading and unloading delivery trucks.
The ground floor will be home to the market’s 39 stalls and will have three large entrances as well as a central lobby covered with a skylight.
Visitors to the first floor will find gastrobars and a business hub, while the top floor will have a terrace open to the public.
The total area will cover around 11,000 square metres and universal accessibility will be guaranteed throughout all levels.