The council approves initiating the procedures for the new ORA contract and Benidorm Open Arena

Benidorm City Council today approved, in an extraordinary plenary session, the initiation of procedures to contract the new on-street parking management service, as well as the contracting process for the project and construction of the bullring's rehabilitation into a cultural, youth, and inclusion space, called Open Arena Benidorm. Both proposals passed unanimously.

Regarding Open Arena Benidorm, the government spokesperson and Councillor for Urban Planning, Lourdes Caselles, stated that the project has received a European grant from the EDIL Funds totalling €6,421,000. The City Council will contribute the remaining amount, up to the project's total cost of € 15 million, using municipal resources. Caselles also explained that the process being initiated “includes the drafting of the project and its subsequent construction,” clarifying that “the plaza will not be demolished; rather, among other things, the structure will be reinforced, and any hidden defects in the existing building will be addressed.”

Open Arena Benidorm project is divided into three parts. First, there is ‘Arena Live,’ “whose objective is to rehabilitate the plaza and transform it into a multifunctional cultural space, ensuring its continuous use and contributing to the year-round diversification of tourism by hosting cultural and sustainable leisure events throughout the year.” Second, there is ‘Arena Joven,’ whose objective is “to create a multipurpose youth center that combines training, creativity, and healthy leisure activities to promote local talent and youth participation.” Finally, the ‘Arena Encuentro’ project aims to eliminate urban barriers by “improving connectivity between the Els Tolls neighborhood and the center of Benidorm through accessible and sustainable infrastructure that will enable its full integration into the urban environment.”

The municipal spokesperson emphasised that the project and construction contracts are being awarded jointly “at the recommendation of municipal technicians,” who reported that “the bullring presents complex structural issues.” In this regard, the councilwoman highlighted that this contracting method “guarantees a single responsibility for the final result, including the building's stability and suitability for use, and avoids overlapping responsibilities between the original designer and the construction company in the event of unforeseen circumstances or hidden defects, which is common in rehabilitation projects of this complexity.” In fact, she added, by combining the project and construction, “the fragmentation of responsibilities between the designer and the builder is eliminated, preventing delays resulting from the discovery of hidden defects or unnecessary project modifications.” “We want this Open Arena Benidorm, but we also want to improve the quality of life for residents,” Caselles concluded.

The council also approved the start of the contracting process for the new on-street parking management service, following the suspension of the previous contract in June 2024. The concessionary joint venture was allowed to continue providing the service until a new contract was formalised and awarded. Subsequently, in February of this year, the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV) cleared the legal path by dismissing the concessionaire's appeal.

Francis Muñoz, the Councillor for Mobility, insisted that this new contract “is arriving when it should, with legal certainty and a great deal of work behind it, and having designed a new model.” The councillor emphasised that “there was a legal proceeding regarding the previous contract, and we couldn't put the city council at risk. So, once the path was clear, we acted. Therefore, it's not a delay, but rather institutional responsibility.”

Muñoz also rejected the notion that the contract is being implemented to increase revenue, stating that it is “to better organise the city.” He explained that the new contract covers “the control and monitoring of regulated parking, revenue collection, service monitoring reports, maintenance of necessary equipment and applications, towing services, collection of fees and fines, and the control and maintenance of restricted access zones, as well as the issuance of resident and business permits.”

As new features, as established in the ordinance approved in October 2024, the contract includes the orange and green zones, with new conditions for residents and non-residents. Thus, the green zone allows limited-time parking for non-residents upon payment of a fee, while residents can park for free for a maximum of 48 hours. The orange zone allows residents to park for a maximum of 10 days without paying a fee and is prohibited for non-residents of Benidorm.

According to Francis Muñoz, “this is a model adapted to our tourism industry, which should not change, and the aim is to ensure parking space turnover so that the city doesn't become overcrowded.” The contract anticipates revenues exceeding ten million euros over two years, while the cost of the service amounts to 9.9 million euros, “so there is a positive balance.” “This is not an improvised contract,” Muñoz concluded.