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costa calida EDITION
south edition
Your English Newspaper
roundtownnews.com
Issue 787
3-9 Jan 2014 14-20 November 2014
Torrevieja’s new harbour plan AN EXCITING and ambitious new harbour plan has been announced by Mayor Eduardo Dolon and his team. by Keith Nicol
Ricky Valance
Ricky Valance returns to Spain Ricky is performing again for the charity Help At Home Costa Blanca as their Guest Artist on 10th December at 5pm at the Emerald Isle. Read the full story on page 33.
Although the fine details and architects plans will not be announced until early 2015, the basis for the redesign of the harbour plan will soon be open to tender. The even more ambitious previous harbour plan fell by the wayside when the Valencian Government backtracked from providing 20 million euros and entering into a first joint venture agreement coupled with the lack of foreign investment, wary of the bringing money into Spain as the Spanish banking system all but collapsed before the last election. The new plan has been a number of years in development and consulting with local residents, business and Valencia. In total, an area of 90,000 square metres is due for a redesign with the Mayor stating that this “is a project conceived as a dynamic engine for the historical centre of Torrevieja; designed to be a complement to the existing landscape, giving added value and multiplying the opportunities for trade and local hospitality.� Part of the plan is to add between 500 to 600 new subterranean car parking places, to be
constructed below the existing car park. New entry and exit points are to be created for traffic, a dual carriage underground road to connect the marina zones, plus pedestrian areas and walkways will seamlessly connect the Paseo Vista Alegre and the Paseo Maritimo Juan Aparicio. The fun fair and new leisure activates will move to the empty land close to the ice factory and Floating Museum where the developer will have the opportunity to construct low level buildings for such purposes as a convention and event centre, multipurpose rooms, kids zone, entertainment area, sports facilities and activities, health and wellness, excluding commercial use but a percentage will be set aside for boating related activities. A new museum will be constructed beside the floating museums as the new home for the Sea and Salt museum, rather than move it to Eras de la Sal, as once was envisioned. With this solution, the Fairground will now have a permanent home which in turn will free up the space now used for the funfair, allowing such events as the May Fair to take place, plus other entertainments, without disturbing the fairground. Continued on page 8
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See page 70