After more than four years of construction work to renovate the old sugar mill in Torre del Mar…..it still isn’t finished and won’t be opening this summer.
The plan was to renovate the nineteenth century Nuestra Señora del Carmen sugar factory and turn into into a museum and exhibition centre.
The original contract, with a budget of €1,629,321.00 was awarded in November 2003 with a completion period of fourteen months. However, the company awarded the contract decided to quit the project. A second contract was awarded in June 2005 with a budget of €1,649,363.00.
Since then, the project has required two major modifications, costing in the region of €689,000.00 which has taken the costs so far to €2,300,000. And it still isn’t finished.
Completion of the project apparently requires yet another major investment. There are structural problems needing to be addressed, old sugar producing machinery to be included as exhibits needs to be repaired in order to become working models and the whole property needs equipping and furnishing.
However, the responsibility for equipping and furnishing the centre lies with the Council and it seems that finding the money for completing this particular project does not figure highly on their agenda at the current time.
So it could be a few more years before the centre is finished….and it will then probably need to be restarted due to changes in technical requirements and laws.