Lleida, Catalonia, has seen construction begin on Shopping Promenade Lleida, the retail project planned for Torre Salses, between La Bordeta and Els Mangraners. Earth-moving equipment started preliminary work yesterday on what will be the first commercial centre of its kind in the city.
The development covers 56,000 square metres and is being delivered by Madrid-based Eurofund and French firm Frey, with an investment of €145 million. Officials say it is the largest private investment in Lleida. The construction contract was awarded in April to a temporary joint venture made up of Romero Polo, Sorigué and Dragados.
The legal start of the works was marked last week with the signing of the acta de replanteig, or setting-out certificate. Lleida City Council granted the public highway occupation licence to the construction companies in early May. For background on local coverage, see Catalonia news.
The project will be built in three phases. The first covers earth movement and foundation work, the second the building structures, and the third the surrounding urban works, including parking areas, 20,000 square metres of green space and the planting of 1,000 trees.
Developers expect the centre to open by the end of 2027 and to receive between 5 million and 6 million visitors a year. They estimate it will create 400 direct jobs, with up to 300 workers on site at peak construction.
Alongside the build, the developers must fund access improvements worth €9.8 million. The money will go towards dual carriageway works on Víctor Torres Avenue, extending Francesc Bordalba i Montardit Street to Torre Salses, and expanding public transport and cycle lane links to the site. The planning process began in late 2015, and the project has already received its commercial licence from the Generalitat and its building permit from the city council.