19/11/2013 00:00
TW
0

PALMA City Council yesterday put the project to construct the capital's new convention centre up for concession with a budget of 110 million euros.
The convention centre, which will include a luxury hotel, parking, public spaces, restaurants and a retail park has been designed by the architect Patxi Mangado and is expected to completely change Palma's sea front. Despite misgivings about the ambitious project from opposition councillors and political parties, Palma City Council went ahead with yesterday's planned presentation and official launch of the project. Companies are now being asked to start bidding for the contract to not only construct the centre but also manage the site.
Javier Rodrigo de Santos, the Palma City Councillor for Development, said that there has already been a great deal of interest from Balearic and Spanish companies and that he is confident that, come the middle of February next year, a constructor and management company will be announced. He also explained that the idea is that the project is self-financed by the concession construction and management company.
The city council and the Balearic government will share the costs of providing a grant worth 30 million euros, but the rest of the budget should be raised by the construction and management company which lands the 40 year contract. Javier Rodrigo de Santos proclaimed yesterday “as of today, the new sea front is a reality” echoing comments made by the Balearic government spokesperson Joan Flaquer last week who warned there was to be “no turning back” over the project. There are, however, a few hurdles left to clear such as the protection order secured by the Council of Majorca on the GESA building.
Palma city council intends to launch an appeal against the ruling as the municipal authority had planned to demolish the property.