Torrevieja City Council has taken a major step towards completing its long-awaited Habaneras Auditorium, with a €9.65 million contract proposed for the construction of the cultural venue and extensive improvements to the surrounding area, including Calle Salero and the Varadero waterfront.
The council’s Contracting Committee, meeting on Thursday, 29 October, unanimously recommended awarding the contract to Continental Obras y Mantenimiento, S.L., following a competitive tendering process involving ten companies.
The successful bidder submitted an offer of €9,649,944.81, including VAT, representing a 12.89% reduction on the original tender budget.
According to the council, the offer will deliver savings of approximately €1.43 million compared with the initial contract value.
Continental Obras y Mantenimiento achieved the highest evaluation score, securing 92.20 points out of 100. GRULOP finished a close second with 91.5165 points, followed by ORTIZ with 90.8043 points.
Four Projects Combined into One Major Development
The contract brings together four separate but interconnected projects designed to complete the Habaneras Auditorium and provide the infrastructure necessary for its operation.
The principal development involves the second phase of the Calle Salero, Habaneras Auditorium and Varadero project, designed by architectural practice Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos.
This includes construction of the auditorium itself, improvements to Calle Salero, redevelopment works in the Varadero area and the preparation of surrounding public spaces.
The scheme is intended to integrate the new cultural facility into its waterfront surroundings while ensuring that the associated streets and public areas are equipped to accommodate its future use.
Three additional infrastructure projects, designed by INURBE Ingeniería, form part of the same contract.
The first involves installing a new 20-kilovolt underground electricity supply with a double circuit to provide power to the development.
A second project provides for an automated 20-kilovolt electrical switching facility, which will form part of the infrastructure supporting the auditorium and surrounding installations.
The final element involves upgrading the drinking-water supply network and stormwater drainage system serving the Maritime Museum and Habaneras Auditorium area.
By combining all four projects into a single contract, the council aims to coordinate construction and essential infrastructure works, rather than undertaking them as separate developments.
Two-Year Construction Programme
Under the proposed contract, the main construction programme will run for 24 months.
However, the two-year period will not begin until the formal site-setting-out verification document has been signed, following completion of the administrative procedures required before work can commence.
The various supporting infrastructure projects have their own construction schedules, which must be coordinated with the main development.
Continental Obras y Mantenimiento has also offered an extended warranty period as part of its bid.
The company proposes adding 45 months to the standard 12-month contractual guarantee, providing a total warranty period of 57 months following completion.
This extension was included among the improvements offered by the contractor during the tendering process.
Final Approval Still Required
Although Continental has emerged as the preferred contractor, the award is not yet final.
The company must first submit the documentation required under the tender conditions and provide a definitive financial guarantee of €398,758.05, equivalent to 5% of its offer excluding VAT.
It has ten working days from receiving the formal request to complete these requirements.
Once the documentation has been verified and the necessary administrative procedures concluded, the council can proceed with the definitive contract award and its formal signing.
Only then can preparations for the commencement of construction be finalised.
The proposed investment represents a significant commitment to Torrevieja’s cultural infrastructure and the redevelopment of its waterfront surroundings.
If the contract is formally awarded and work proceeds according to schedule, the auditorium and its associated infrastructure would be completed approximately two years after construction officially begins.
For now, the council’s decision marks another important stage in bringing the Habaneras Auditorium project closer to completion.
