SPTCV explains its position on the Benidorm Cultural Center project
Disputes have emerged between the mayor of Benidorm, Mr. Pérez, and the SPTCV administration regarding approval of works on the Benidorm Cultural Center (CCB). SPTCV presents this clear summary for the Benidorm public, outlining its stance and the reasoning behind it.
The CCB project traces back to 2005, born from an agreement between the regional government and the Benidorm City Council, with an initial budget of 45 million euros. In 2008 the regional government paused the plan and redirected the site toward urban redevelopment. In 2016 President Ximo Puig decided to restart the project, heeding the calls from numerous business, social, and cultural groups in the city. The current plan envisages completing the first stage now and tackling the final stage afterward.
The file to be forwarded was highly complex: negotiations with the architect and the collaborating consortium, arrangements for compensation, a revision of the land transfer classification by the City Council, and the execution process. The project involved moving toward semi-autonomous operation, typically followed by a bidding process for a new construction firm, all while the market faced ongoing uncertainty in microprocessor stock cycles once the job reached completion.
A key legal element was the signing of a new Agreement between the Benidorm City Council and SPTCV. The agreement assigns Phase I construction to SPTCV while the City Council assumes VAT payment. This accord came after careful negotiations between the parties.
Financial closure for the works occurred at the end of the prior year, with completion announced in the early months of the 22nd year and plans for a new construction phase already underway.
City Council leadership is aware of these developments and accepts its responsibilities: to handle VAT, to ensure furniture and equipment, to arrange maintenance, cleaning, and the urbanization of surrounding streets.
To prepare for the acceptance of the work, a Joint Commission made up of SPTCV and City Council technicians was formed by mutual agreement. Its explicit goal was to determine the final document to be signed before a notary, a document that would certify the handover of the building, establish the final VAT amount due, and outline remaining obligations for both sides.
For weeks the mayor of SPTCV, Mr. Pérez, was asked to convene this Commission so the project could be formally received. The delay raised concerns within SPTCV, which feared that a 12,000 square meter project could face risks without ongoing use, supervision, or maintenance. Incidents such as a water outage in April and a recent breach of a glass door underscored potential risks if the project remained unreleased.
Consequently, concerns were made public last Monday at the CCB, triggering an angry reaction from the mayor. He organized what he called an incomprehensible meeting with municipal groups, directors of cultural institutions, and city leaders to “hand over the keys.” Not all invited parties attended. The central question is whether the discussion should focus on last-minute delays like leaks or whether the final document should be reviewed by technicians and then taken to the notary. If the City Council was not ready for a handover, dialogue and negotiation could still chart a path forward.
Current understanding from the City of Benidorm is that once the City Council agrees to pay the VAT, it will take responsibility for delivering the CCB. SPTCV will continue repairing damages caused by prior delays and will maintain protections to cover potential issues, including guarantees through collateral or requested insurances. To minimize risk, SPTCV has arranged surveillance services independently where it was not responsible for certain problems.
Viewed as a cornerstone for Benidorm’s social, cultural, and economic development, the CCB’s value increases when local social and economic groups align on the final phase. Completing the first phase could stimulate economic activity and strengthen Benidorm’s tourism sector.
The proposed path aligns with repeated endorsements from President Ximo Puig. With the cooperative support of Valencians and all stakeholders, this important project can move toward completion rather than stalling again, as it did in 2008 [citation: Valencian Government records].