Ten construction companies are competing for the multi-million euro contract to build the Habaneras Auditorium in Torrevieja. The extensive project includes the main auditorium construction alongside the redevelopment of Salero Street and the Varadero area, together with infrastructure works to upgrade drinking water, stormwater drainage, and electricity supply systems. The contract carries a total budget of €9,155,275.94 excluding VAT, which equates to approximately €11.08 million including taxes, with a maximum completion timeframe set at 24 months.
The bidding procedure has advanced following a meeting by the City Council’s Procurement Committee, where officials examined the administrative documentation from all ten participating firms. The initial tender announcement was listed on the Public Sector Procurement Platform on 28th July, with the submission deadline closing on 25th August.
All ten businesses passed the initial administrative screening: Abala Infraestructuras, CHM Obras e Infraestructuras, Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, Construcciones Urdecon, Continental Obras y Mantenimiento, Eiffage Infraestructuras, Gestaser Obras y Servicios, Grulop Infraestructuras, Llop Proyectos Integrales, and Ortiz Construcciones y Proyectos. The committee confirmed full compliance with all administrative requirements and unanimously voted to admit every firm into the next phase of the tender process.
The central component of the contract focuses on Phase 2 of Calle Salero, the Habaneras Auditorium, and the complete Varadero zone. This main section accounts for €8,665,663.03 excluding VAT, representing 94.65 per cent of the total investment. Three smaller, complementary infrastructure projects account for the remaining 5.35 per cent of the overall budget, designed to allow full operational commissioning of the entire complex.
These complementary works involve installing a 20 kV double-circuit underground medium-voltage line priced at €21,116.16 excluding VAT, setting up an automated independent switching station valued at €98,292.14, and renovating both the drinking water supply and stormwater drainage networks near the Maritime Museum and Habaneras Auditorium at a cost of €370,204.61.
The tender establishes an overall execution period of 24 months starting from the signing of the site survey verification report, though bidding companies can submit reduced timeframes. Within this timeline, the main auditorium and street redevelopment phase is allocated 24 months, the medium-voltage line requires 30 days, the switching station takes three weeks following administrative approval, and the water network upgrades are slated for two months.
A specific condition in the tender specifications details rules regarding land inside the port’s public domain. If the administrative concession to occupy this space is not fully obtained by the time of the site survey, construction cannot start within that specific area. However, the City Council retains the right to authorise work in unaffected zones, provided it can proceed independently without impacting the wider project.
Due to the scale of the undertaking, bidding construction firms must hold a Group C (Buildings), Category 5 classification. Municipal authorities noted that the primary focus is the main construction of the Auditorium and its surrounding spaces, while individual electrical and plumbing components do not exceed 20 per cent of the total cost and therefore do not mandate separate classifications.
During the committee meeting, a specific detail emerged regarding the bid submitted by Ortiz Construcciones y Proyectos. The firm requested confidentiality for parts of its technical documentation, covering details such as construction processes, environmental impact reduction, carbon footprint measures, work schedules, material resources, and warranty maintenance plans. The company stated this data stems from its proprietary expertise.
The Procurement Board has not yet determined whether to grant this confidentiality request, as the current review focused purely on administrative documents. A formal decision regarding the request will take place when technical files are evaluated, adhering to the Public Sector Contracts Law alongside principles of transparency and equal treatment. The procurement process now proceeds to full technical proposal evaluations to select the winning contractor for Torrevieja.
Other Articles
