After almost 20 years standing derelict, blocked as the town hall allowed the construction without the authorisation or concession of the Coastal Authority in the mid-2000s, a lesson they still seemingly haven’t learnt, the future of the infamous Torrevieja Cigar by the salt lakes on the Torretas urbanisation, may soon be resolved.
Most of the land on which it was built was land located in the maritime-terrestrial public domain and transit easement, affected by the Coastal Law.
Now, Torrevieja Council and the Provincial Coast Service have initiated contacts to resolve its controversial administrative situation, although at this time we do not know to what end.
Sources from the Provincial Coastal Service indicated to the Spanish press recently that they are currently awaiting regularisation of the administrative situation of this unfinished resort.
Furthermore, Costas confirmed that Torrevieja Council has made “some informal contacts with the Provincial Coastal Service in order to regularise the administrative situation, although a formal proposal has not yet been made in this regard”.
The construction of the building was halted by Costas following a complaint that the AHSA environmental protection group filed with this administration on 26 September 2003.
In its complaint, AHSA made an express request for the immediate halt of the works and the restoration of the affected land and vegetation to their original state. Costas halted the works, but neither Costas, nor the Generalitat nor the Council dismantled what was illegally built even to this day.
Renowned architect Toyo Ito was commissioned in 2000 to design the building, known as the “caracola”, though often referred to as the “cigar”, which was set to be the largest relaxation park in the country, with the intention to try and steer Torrevieja away from the cheap-beach tourism it was becoming known for.
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