The Port Authority of Almería (APA) will begin in January the urbanization works of approximately 6,000 square meters at the access to the Levante Pier, aimed at opening the area to the city, as well as the construction of a new energy-efficient façade for the administrative building. This was announced by the president, Rosario Soto, during her speech at the 2nd Edition of the Sun&Blue Congress, after confirming that the project was awarded this Wednesday to Albaida Infraestructuras S.A. for €3,589,568.21. “The execution period for this project, which will open the first hectare of the port-city integration initiative, is ten months, meaning the works will be completed before Christmas 2025,” detailed APA President Rosario Soto.
Soto participated in the panel discussion “Ports and Cities: Weaving the Network of Sustainable Progress” alongside Marta Pontes, Councillor for Economic Activities, Tourism, Internationalization, and Civil Protection at the Municipality of Matosinhos in Portugal and Vice President of Rete, the Association for Port-City Collaboration; Manuel Arana, Director of Planning and Development at Puertos del Estado; and Ricardo Barkala, President of the Port Authority of Bilbao, whom Soto invited to participate in the congress during her institutional visit to the Port of Bilbao this summer to showcase the successful integration of the Bilbao port into its urban surroundings.
During her address, the APA president highlighted the port-city integration projects to be carried out in the Port of Almería in 2025, which will entail investments exceeding €11.5 million. These projects include urbanization works and the restoration of port cultural heritage, such as the rehabilitation of the Varadero building, the enhancement of the Tinglado structure, the direct access to the port from the N-340, the urbanization of an additional hectare adjacent to the Ribera I Pier, as well as the reorganization of the pre-boarding area, encompassing another two hectares, in addition to the project awarded today.
“The port-city integration will boost blue tourism in Almería, becoming a social and tourist attraction, including for cruise ships,” Soto stated. She added that the port-city project in Almería will foster a closer and more positive relationship between the port and its citizens and will represent the most significant urban transformation of Almería in the coming years. She emphasized that this achievement is thanks to inter-administrative collaboration between the Andalusian Government, the City Council of Almería, and the Port Authority.
First Hectare Urbanized at the Access to the Levante Pier
To the opening of the first 4,000 square meters around the APA headquarters next year, another nearly 6,000 square meters will be added, with urbanization works awarded this Wednesday. This project will include landscaped areas with trees to provide shade, as well as design elements consistent with the ongoing Paseo works, ensuring visual and functional uniformity in the port-city integration. Local materials from Almería, such as Macael marble and Cosentino’s Dekton, will be prominently used.
On the other hand, the comprehensive intervention in the façade of the 1970s administrative building involves a new thermal envelope that will completely insulate and cover the building. The materials will include Dekton and recycled aluminum, resulting in improved energy certification for the building. This transformation will make the APA headquarters more sustainable, a factor that has secured European Feder 4 funds for the initiative.
