OIM Marinas has asked Málaga’s Port Authority to approve the transfer of shares in Marina Málaga San, the company holding the concession to develop and operate the planned San Andrés marina. The request could bring a new operator into a project that has faced months of uncertainty, but the transfer is not yet approved.
The marina is planned for the Huelin district, at the mouth of the Guadalmedina, close to the fish market and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography’s new headquarters. A future Málaga music auditorium is also planned in the area, according to the project information reported by SUR in English.
OIM Marinas is owned by nautical-sector entrepreneur José Luis Almazán, who is also a partner in the mega-yacht marina at Málaga port’s piers 1 and 2. If regulators approve the share transfer, OIM would acquire the rights to build and operate the San Andrés facilities. The current concessionaire owner, Qatari fund Al Alfia, would leave the project, the report says.
The Port Authority and Puertos del Estado are examining the application. SUR in English reported that, if no legal obstacles arise, approval could be considered at a Port Authority board meeting in late November. The report gave an expected review period of about a month; the supplied material does not establish a final decision or completion date.
Approval depends in part on the concession being transferred free of debt. The application documents reportedly address conditions set by the Port Authority, including settling outstanding payments to suppliers and advisers. Among those mentioned is Estudio Seguí, which designed the planned shopping and leisure area on the quay.
The project’s estimated investment is about €54 million. Its proposed facilities include berths for 506 vessels: around 400 for boats under 12 metres, two for yachts up to 50 metres and five for yachts up to 30 metres. Plans also include a dry marina for 100 boats and a car park with 439 spaces.
A widened breakwater would create a platform for luxury shops, hotels and a nautical club. Other planned features include a sailing school, yacht club, restaurant, control tower and events venue. These are project proposals, not facilities currently open to the public.
In February, the Port Authority reminded Marina Málaga San that administrative deadlines remained in force and that it needed to submit the final project and apply to Málaga City Council for planning permission. The share-transfer request is a step in the ownership process; the supplied reporting does not confirm that the final project or planning permission has since been secured.