The ‘skyline’ of Torrevieja could be unrecognisable to residents in less than a decade, following plans to build 18 imposing tower blocks that will dominate views over the lagoons and the city, within less than four years.
The two Atalayas tower blocks planned for Los Locos beach would appear to be little more than a rehearsal of what is to come, as the City Council hopes to authorise the construction of another 18 towers comprising of up to 29 floors.
The origins of the plans go back to the bursting of the real estate bubble. In 2010, Torrevieja approved modification 52 of its General Plan. In this, six areas were established in which buildings could be ‘intensive’ in height, raising as many floors as necessary and, therefore, on a significantly smaller portion of land.
These six plots are strategically located next to the main sandy areas of the city. One is located in front of Náufragos beach, another next to la curva del Palangre, one more on La Mata beach, another two on plots separated by the Acequión canal, the one adjacent to the Doña Sinforosa park and the one located on the old Campico San Mamés, and a last one – the only one that is separated from the coastline, which would be in La Loma, very close to the judicial courts.
Of these, there would seem to be little appeal at the moment in constructing in La Loma and La Mata, with no developer having shown interest in developing said lands. The rest do have builders moving forward, however.
The well-known Sinforosa towers are the property of the Baraka group, from Trinitario Casanova from Oriola. In the neighbouring plot, Metrovacesa seems quite keen to move ahead, while in the la curva del Palangre, the Elche company Don Sento is making plans, and in Los Náufragos the company is Puente La Sal.
However, not all of the projects are at all advanced. The approval phase of the detailed study consists of three phases that are alternated by successive periods of public display, until the project is finally approved in a municipal plenary session.
Don Sento (4 towers), Los Náufragos (9) and Metrovacesa (3) are still in the initial phase, although Baraka and Doña Sinforosa have successfully completed all the procedures and are awaiting the final building license for the towers that they are planning.
The Metrovacesa towers, that are to be located on what is known as Campico San Mamés, next to the Acequión canal, far from having a great environmental impact, will open up new green areas. This, the council says, is what they have also sought to preserve with the Baraka case, which, they say, will form a large green lung next to the area freed up on the other side of the Acequión canal by Metrovacesa and the nearby Salinero Park.
Although the council refers to the tower blocks as ‘necessary progress,” the main threat hanging over these projects at the moment is the criteria of the Coastal Demarcation. The state body is completely opposed to these towers due to their landscape impact, which, it considers, violates the Coastal Law.
