WITH A BUDGET of €5,329,000, work has begun on Torrevieja’s new market zone which is the latest phase of the redevelopment of the Sports City Zone and located beside the Nelson Mandela Stadium and Aqua Park.
Its lead time is estimated at eight months and it should be open and functional before Easter 2012. Work on the new market zone is part of the Trust Plan that drives the Generalitat Valenciana and this will be run as a joint venture formed by AZVI-LIC.
Torrevieja’s market is not only the largest Friday market in Spain but also the largest in the Valencian Community. Although it’s presently located just outside of the city centre, its present location has resulted in gridlock in parts of the city, parking and clean up issues and safety and security problems.
It’s location around the main Bus Station up to La Loma has proved very popular with local residents who can walk to the market but it’s location has impacted the growth a development of the area and acted as deterrent for house sales and property development.
The new initiative is to establish a complex to serve as the weekly market and for other occasional events. The market will now move to this more suitable and specifically designed area. The future site for the market will be located in a large multi-purpose plaza of more than 60,000 square meters and be part of a three phase plan to include a space reserved for concerts and other events, with capacity for 50,000 people.
The area will also have two service buildings, one cafeteria, two offices, toilets and a general police checkpoint and another auxiliary building with toilets and storage. In relative terms, the market area could easily swallow up six full-size football fields.
The entire area will also be landscaped with trees to reduce traffic noise and provide additional garden areas at the edges of the plot in order to create zones for public seating, walks, ramps, child safety and resting areas.
The parking area beside the water park will remain and additional parking will be provided to one side of the Avenida Delfina Viudes. The third phase of the development will include the addition of the Fairground which is relocating here away from the Harbour front Zone.
