Marbella in the Future
Plans have been approved for a new marina in the Spanish resort of Marbella, designed to rival the appeal of nearby Puerto Banús.
“Thanks to a consortium led by Qatari Sheikh Abdullah ben Nasser Al-Thani, current owner of Málaga Football Club, the fishing port of La Bajadilla, 8km to the east of central Marbella, has been rubber stamped for a €400 million makeover,” says Sarah Drane, managing director of the local marketing company Purple Cake Factory.
“Puerto Banus is the catwalk of the Costa del Sol,” Drane told OPP this week, “attracting up to five million visitors each year.”
And, despite the “915 berths” it offers for a huge flotilla of yachts and speedboats, Drane believes that the area is now “set to face some serious competition from a none-too-distant neighbour.” The plans that have been drawn up for the new marina, show 500 berths arranged on a circular pier, pierced by a 200m-long quayside for cruise liners. There will be a waterfront five-star hotel as well as a raft of bars, restaurants and shops, all designed to catapult La Bajadilla into the spotlight. “With the Marbella Town Hall holding a 3% stake in the project, the marina is obliged to be ‘emblematic’ in order to attract elite clientele and is being billed as the most important urban development in Marbella’s history,” Drane told OPP.
“Puerto Banús has every reason to worry that one day it will be outshone.” Local developer Hadleigh Bolt, Director of www.boltpropertygroup.com which builds luxury on the nearby La Zagaleta country estate, located 20km from Marbella, agrees. “I am a huge fan of Marbella and believe that it’s symbolic of this prestigious coastline,” he told OPP. “Marbella’s Golden Mile is where it all began back in the 1950s when the five-star Marbella Club Hotel first opened its doors and today the area needs to up the ante to once more compete with the best resorts on the Côte d’Azur and Amalfi coastline.” “This new marina is a great initiative and I believe it’s a correct decision to create a fresh new landmark for Marbella rather than to simply remodel near-neighbour Puerto Banús.” And, he added, “with the old industrial estate set to be demolished and the AVE high speed rail link destined to stretch to Marbella in the not too distant future – Port Al Thani will undoubtedly change the face of Marbella.”
The developers have produced a video of the new marina scheme, which they have titled Port Al Thani in Marbella. If you would like to see it, go to YouTube - PROYECTO 3D AMPLIACION PUERTO DEPORTIVO.
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