Malaga's new customs office at the port blocked by developers' appeal against contracts

Infrastructure

Malaga's new customs office at the port blocked by developers' appeal against contracts

The relocation of the tax agency is essential to unlock the major office development at Muelle de Heredia

Añádenos en Google The Muelle de Heredia dock area in Malaga where the new tax agency headquarters will be located. (Salvador Salas)

Ignacio Lillo

05/06/2026 a las 15:07h.

After 15 years of procedures and planning, the Malaga Port Authority took the decisive step at the end of January this year to launch the tender for the construction of the new customs building, which is currently located at Muelle de Heredia.

Moving it from there is essential to unlock the major office and car park project in the port special plan, which aims to integrate dock 4 into the city centre, as already happened with docks 1 and 2.

However, this project will now face a delay of at least another three months. The reason lies in an appeal the Malaga construction association (ACP) has submitted, which has received a ruling in favour.

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Head of the Port Authority Carlos Rubio has said they will not appeal "in order not to lose more time". The port body is already working on redrafting the tender documents to take them to the next meeting at the end of June. "We will lose three months, but after all the delays so far, it will not make a major difference," he said.

Some construction companies challenged the tender because the original specification, now annulled, required a special classification. Rubio said that a large part of the delay in bringing the project forward has stemmed from "multiple technical discussions" with Cedex and Puertos del Estado over the best foundation solution for reclaimed land such as Muelle de Heredia.

"These discussions have lasted two years, so it was reasonable, given the complexity, to require a classification that guarantees companies have experience in special foundations," Rubio said.

However, the ACP appealed on the grounds that the requirement was excessive.

Under the agreement with central government, the maritime headquarters of the tax agency, including customs surveillance and tax offices, will be built on a plot next to the entrance to the site at Alameda de Colón, alongside Avenida Manuel Agustín Heredia, almost opposite the José Estrada health centre, where a large fig tree stands.

The plot measures 1,144 square metres and the building will accommodate around 130 civil servants and up to 100 users. It will include a basement with around 30 parking spaces. Above ground, developers will construct a modern, functional building with a ground floor plus four upper levels, as well as an adjoining storage area.

Once finally awarded, construction of the new customs building will last around 20 months. Under the revised timetable, works will begin at the end of this year and finish towards the end of 2028.

The aim now is to speed up procedures as much as possible for one of the flagship projects in the port integration plan. The construction of the customs building will run in parallel with the steps required for the commercial office scheme on dock 4.

Depending on the construction timetable, the office tender for Muelle de Heredia will be launched when less than two years remain until completion. The goal is for contractors to begin building immediately after the relocation of the customs staff, in line with the schedule set out by Port Authority president Carlos Rubio.

This will be the final piece in the puzzle needed to allow the Soho district to expand towards the sea. Previous steps include, above all, the construction of the new Guardia Civil headquarters next to the oceanographic institute at Muelle de San Andrés. Built on a 2,854-square-metre plot, the facility has cost 1.376 million euros and will house between 70 and 80 officers from different units.

Once everything is cleared, three buildings are planned parallel to Avenida Manuel Agustín Heredia. These will include ground-floor commercial space plus four floors of offices, covering a total of 26,500 square metres. The layout preserves sightlines aligned with the north–south avenues of the Ensanche de Heredia (Soho). Two basement levels, if approved, would provide around 1,200 parking spaces.