Laurence Dollimore
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a skyscraper which will house a luxury hotel in the Port of Malaga are one step closer after being granted provisional approval by the City Council.
Final approval is expected to be granted in January or February before being submitted for approval to the Council of Ministers.
Councillor for Land Management Raul Lopez announced the approval this morning, saying the plans allow for a five-star hotel on a 17,610sqm plot with a maximum of 45,000sqm of roof and 38 floors (around 150 metres).
The final design will be up to the promoters, Lopez said, but they cannot exceed the aforementioned parameters.
The project has hit several roadblocks over the past five years, including proving there was enough public interest and justifying the visual impact the tower would have.
There are still around 31 issues which need to be hashed out over the next month or so.
The so-called Torre del Puerto project, a plan to build a luxury hotel and convention centre on the Morro de Levante platform, dates back to 2015.
It is backed by the Qatar-based Al Alfia investment fund, owned by the royal family.
Jose Segui architecture studio is behind the design, which features 35 floors and 350 rooms, along with a convention centre and 500-space underground car park.
