Green light for the new Marbella Football Stadium project

The Marbella City Council has awarded the Marbella F.C. Foundation the concession of land for the development of the new Soccer Stadium with a private investment exceeding 114 million euros, located at Huerta de los Cristales crossing. The mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, stated this Monday that demolition of the old facilities will begin "immediately" once the entity presents the project.

The mayor highlighted this in response to journalists' questions during the presentation of the new artificial turf at the Antonio Serrano Lima pavilion's soccer field, adjacent to the plot where the municipal stadium is located. Plans also include building a sports hotel, a commercial and dining area, and an underground parking lot.

The announcement of the final award of the "concession of exclusive use" of the old Antonio Lorenzo Cuevas Soccer Stadium for the construction and operation of a new one took place on May 15, after a bidding process that started last November. The Marbella F.C. Foundation was awarded the concession for a period of 75 years with a fee of 16,613,250 euros over this period, according to the announcement published on the Public Sector Procurement Platform.

Muñoz estimated that the demolition of the old facilities could begin "immediately" once the Marbella F.C. Foundation presents the project, stating that the entity already has it and that the City Council "had already seen it informally from technician to technician".

"There is a lot of will and eagerness from everyone, so I believe we will sign the contract in the coming days," the mayor emphasized regarding the initiative, highlighting that it has "absolute priority" in the Urban Planning area as the project involves "economic activity" and "job creation".

Thus, the mayor hopes that the demolition project of the Stadium "is presented as soon as possible" so that "we can grant the license and start the construction", once the project "is already awarded, and therefore, that procedure is already past" in relation to the administrative scope.

Sports Hotel and Commercial Area

The concession of exclusive use aims to "construct and later operate" new sports facilities, in addition to a hotel and a commercial space, with the Local Government Board of the City of Marbella being the awarding entity, according to the administrative conditions document.

According to the document, the initial investment for the "demolition and the initiation of the project" is estimated at 114,331,624 euros, mainly for the first action and the material execution of the works, which "the concessionaire will fully finance". In addition to the fixed fee for the concession over 75 years, there is "an additional compensation for the demolition of the Stadium", with an estimated cost of 1,500,000 euros.

The project proposal presented by the foundation states that the proposal will allow "the development of a new municipal Stadium in Marbella for the execution of sports activities", which will have "9,500 general seats and 500 VIP or box seats", in addition to "the authorities' stand and private restaurant terraces".

It also includes other business lines or complementary activities, such as "the construction and operation of a parking lot that will be available 24 hours a day", with 1,056 spaces and an estimated revenue in the first year of 1,092,659 euros from rentals and advertising spaces.

The project also includes a sports hotel that will feature "84 rooms, a lobby bar, event rooms with a capacity for 140 people, and an exclusive restaurant in the penthouse". It also plans "a specific section dedicated to commercial activity, with a particular focus on meeting the needs of the club's followers, users of the sports facilities, and other complementary services", with shops mainly oriented towards the world of sports.

Additionally, it includes "a dining offer tailored to the needs of the facility users" with two areas, one indoor and one outdoor; "the construction and operation of a high-performance wellness center", and "the venue is planned to host various events", such as "summer tournaments or matches from competitions outside the league".