The demolition of the Ibis Centro hotel, damaged by the fire in May, will begin imminently. The work will last about two months and will affect traffic in the Guimbarda tunnel.
The demolition of the Ibis Centro de Málaga, next to the Guimbarda corridor, is about to start. The Almeria-based company AGI has already deployed its workers in the area for preparations, and sources consulted by SUR indicate that the demolition will commence "immediately" in the coming days.
The estimated timeframe for the building to disappear is two months, although it may vary depending on the progress of the work. Space conditions, available machinery, and material recycling will be determining factors, according to the same sources.
The operation is delicate due to the characteristics of the bearing soil, which once required a lighter foundation. Additionally, it will take place next to the tunnel under the Guimbarda corridor, one of the busiest traffic routes in the city centre, so a new fence has already been installed to delineate the right lane of the tunnel to ensure vehicle safety.
The lane occupation is initially expected to last 14 days, as this newspaper has learned. The final details are being finalised by the Mobility and Urban Planning departments of the City Council.
The demolition paves the way for a new, taller construction. The hotel property, linked to the Accor group, has been processing a planning application for two years to increase the volume of this hotel and the other two it owns in the Guadalmedina area: Ibis Budget and Suite Novotel.
The operation is supported by a decree from the Junta de Andalucía from 2021, which allows an increase of up to 20% in the built area of existing hotels if it results in a higher category. According to the project from the Domingo Corpas study, the Ibis Málaga Centro, which had 189 doubles (378 beds) and 47 parking spaces, could add 19 more rooms and three additional floors.
Thus, it would change from a height of three floors plus ground floor to six floors plus ground floor and seven floors plus ground floor. The increase has already received the approval of the Culture delegation of the Junta, but it is still pending final approval from the City Council.
Once the City Council endorses the application, the new construction conditions for the plot will come into effect, allowing the building that replaces the Ibis to have that new height. Urban planning parameters are attributed to the land, not the building, experts remind.
The work of the Scientific Police on the ground has been completed, which clears the way for demolition. The causes of the fire have not been disclosed.
The fire started at 1:20 AM on May 25 in the Le Grand Café pub, on the ground floor. An explosion generated a fireball that was captured by Mobility cameras. More than 100 guests were evacuated within minutes, with no injuries, although an officer nearly fell due to the collapse of a floor.
The flames were reactivated for weeks due to false ceilings and wooden structures. The main steel structure withstood the thermal load well. Environmental measurements from the City Council ruled out air quality issues.
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