There are many examples of ‘white elephants’ as a result of the ‘build, build and build some more’ policies, one of these being the Edificio del Mueble in Ronda, built in 2006 but never used.
Built in 2006 but never completely finished or equipped, this wood and glass building has seen little if any use. It was designed to showcase the typical styles of the Ronda area and cost €1.2 million to construct. Being mainly wood and glass, the structure has deteriorated over the years.
In addition, it has been described as having many shortcomings, hence an inability to find a use for it. There have been a number of proposals over the years, such as a library and a hospitality school to be run by the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of the regions of Ronda, Campillos and Guadalteba (Apymer), but these came to nothing.
A contract was awarded to UCOP Construcciones S. A. to carry out repairs to the building, particularly the roof, and work was supposed to have started in August and be completed three months later. However, the Council decided to cancel this and, according to mayor Maria de la Paz Fernández, has returned a subsidy of €350,000 to the Málaga Provincial Council.
The Council has questioned whether it is worth spending around €700,000 without knowing if the end result will be satisfactory, either in terms of looks or usability, describing it as ‘useless from the start’. Demolishing the building is another option reportedly under serious consideration.