Gibraltar company plans macro leisure project near La Línea frontier

(Agencies) New Town Corporate Ltd., a Gibraltar company with investors from the Rock and the UK, has been in negotiations with the Junta de Andalucía regarding plans to build a macro leisure complex along the bare land close to the frontier at La Línea, including part of Parque Princesa Sofía and the Ciudad Deportiva. The project includes hotels, shops, offices and a channel that would come out at Poniente beach, among other infrastructure and leisure facilities. The company has presented drawings and plans that include the elimination of some of the Ciudad Deportiva sports centre facilities, including the training grounds and swimming pool, where a line of hotels would go, plus part of the park for shops, offices, parking, etc.>The idea is to make more attractive an area where over eight million tourists per year are expected when the new joint-use Gibraltar airport is developed.

The investment also provides for the contsruction of a canal on the isthmus that would come out on the western beach, the reconstruction of the Santa Bárbara fortress and mooring for two cruise ships at the presently unused port near the frontier.

Early calculations on the project point to an investment of a billion euros and the creation of 5,000 jobs.

New Town Corporate has been in negotiations with the Junta for about eighteen months, but these have become more intense since the initial project has been reformed following demands by the Port Authority. La Línea's Council is due to debate the project this morning, from which is expected to emanate a call for ideas on the development.