Malaga city council asks entrepreneur Tomás Olivo to better justify shopping centre project

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The urban planning department welcomes the change of use of the Azucarera factory but requests better integration into the urban fabric of the area

Jesús Hinojosa

Malaga

Tuesday, 21 April 2026, 15:01

Entrepreneur Tomás Olivo's project to build his next shopping centre on the site of the formar Azucarera factory in Malaga, next to Avenida de Velázquez and the MA-22 motorway, has received a request for better justification from the city council.

The urban planning department has asked the business owner to motify the project to better demonstrate how it can integrate into the urban fabric of the area. Olivo is a well-known name in the shopping centre sector, as the developer of the La Cañada centre in Marbella and other shopping centres.

The urban planning department welcomes the change of use of this land, but asks for a more thorough justification of the proposal's public interest, as well as the measures that would ensure its viability from a traffic standpoint. In fact, traffic is one of the main challenges of this project, as the land is located next to one of the main roads that typically experience the heaviest congestion during peak hours.

According to sources, engineers are already working on a modification to the project's initial design to address the objections. They are analysing a change in the location of what would be the main facade, which will help to better coordinate all aspects of access to the site.

The project requires a modification of the general urban development plan (PGOU), which could involve several more years of procedures, as it must first undergo an environmental assessment by the regional government - a process that typically takes one or two years.

To move forward, Olivo has hired the studio of local architect Ángel Asenjo, along with British company Chapman Taylor - one of the most prestigious international companies in the design of shopping centres, founded in 1959, with notable projects in the UK and Qatar.

Olivo has surrounded himself with top-tier architects for his project in Malaga and chosen a plot of land in one of the city's fastest-growing areas, next to the Málaga Nostrum shopping centre, which is currently undergoing renovations with the arrival of a Costco supermarket. Also closeby is the Carpena, where a campus of the Alfonso X El Sabio University has recently opened.

Marbella developer Sierra Blanca is also working in the area, transforming the racquet sports centre into the future Rafa Nadal tennis club. Meanwhile, developers continue building new high-priced housing along this stretch of the western coast, particularly in the La Térmica and El Pato areas.

Tomás Olivo's project covers a plot of approximately 65,000 square metres. The shopping centre will have a ground floor plus two (although it could reach a height of three floors in some areas), with a footprint of approximately 45,000 square metres and around 115,000 square metres of built area. Additionally, the development plans for the area include two green spaces totalling almost 20,000 square metres.

The shopping centre will have numerous retail outlets, a supermarket and cinemas. Its construction could cost over 150 million euros. It will also have two large basement floors that could house 3,000 vehicles.