Approximately 300 residents of Malaga have protested against a project for a hotel and skyscraper that is to be located in the city’s port. The group, led by Defend Out Horizon activist group, was also backed by a number of local political parties, including Malaga Ahora, Podemos and Izquierda Unida.
The activist group calls for more consultations to be made on the planned hotel and skyscraper. In addition, the opponents of the project protest against the project as in their opinion only the few wealthy residents of the city are to draw benefit of it.
The movement against the project has already been backed by 35 organisations and Malaga residents.
All Bidda Skyscraper Hotel Project to Feature a Casino
The spokesman of Defend Our Horizon group – Huan Antonio Trivino – reportedly explained that the site where the project is planned to be located is public and in case that the project is finalised, it will be used only for the benefit of a number of people. According to Mr. Trivino, the opponents of the hotel and skyscraper project have already managed to collect more than 6,000 signatures, with their number constantly rising thanks to hundreds of volunteers.
The permission for the construction of hotel and skyscraper project, named Suites Malaga Port, was given to Qatar-based Al Bidda Group, giving it access to one of the oldest continuously-operated Mediterranean ports. The city council gave the green light to Al Bidda project in September 2016.
The initial project of the Qatar-based Group involved only a skyscraper hotel, but reportedly, now a casino is also being planned as part of the complex. The skyscraper hotel is planned to feature more than 350 rooms, a conference centre, luxury shopping centre, spa, swimming pools and a parking for 485 vehicles. As mentioned above, a casino is also rumoured to be part of the project.
In case that everything goes according to plan, about 1,300 jobs are to be created over the construction of the project. The complex is set to open in 2020 and is expected to create 350 jobs once its starts operation.
Previous Opposition to the Project
This is not the first time when Malaga-based Al Bidda skyscraper hotel project faces local opposition. In March 2017, the spokesman of the Malaga for the People political party, Eduardo Zorrilla, commented that the project would transform the city’s skyline drastically, overshadowing other important buildings in the area.
The opponents of the project have previously called for the Government to carefully review the project and most importantly, the potential effects it could have on the local economy and environment. They also required that the authorities must guarantee that a transparent administrative process and investigation of all aspects of the project’s upcoming development had been carried out.
After October 2016, when Al Bidda Group revealed that its plans for the complex also feature a casino, more and more people shared their discontent with the project, with them protesting that the initial approval provided by the city council included only the skyscraper hotel only.
However, the addition of a casino to the business plan of Al Bidda Group in Malaga would help the company make its project more attractive to potential customers. In addition, a casino is expected to also help the Qatar-based company to make a quicker return on the €106-million investment in the construction process. Reportedly, the casino would cost approximately €3.6 million.
Currently, under Malaga gaming rules, only two casinos are allowed per province. Up to date, there are already two casinos in Malaga – the Torrequebrada casino hosted in the HB Torrequebrada Class Hotel and the Andalucia Plaza Hotel-located Casino de Marbella.
- Author
Daniel Williams
