The local council of Santa Cruz has approved a one-year concession, which can be extended, for El Corte Inglés to manage the public underground car park located on Tres de Mayo Avenue. In return, the shopping centre has committed to completely renovating the square adjacent to this area in the city centre, with a deadline of nine months to design the renovation project.
The agreement for the construction and operation of the underground car park, providing 572 parking spaces, was given the green light by the municipal Government Board. According to Carlos Tarife, the Councillor for Public Services and Strategic Planning, “the management of the car park has already commenced, with the renovation of the adjacent space planned to start in the middle of next year, once the project is finalised and approved for tendering.”
Tarife highlighted that this temporary concession of public assets does not involve a transfer of ownership. However, he emphasised the importance of this initiative due to “the scarcity of parking spaces in the city, particularly noticeable during peak periods.”
Public Parking Management
Therefore, Tarife stressed, “maintaining the availability of public parking spaces is crucial to prevent traffic congestion and issues, especially during peak seasons like Christmas and sales periods, considering the concentration of shopping centres and supermarkets in the vicinity.”
Earlier this year, the City Council announced El Corte Inglés as the manager of the Tres de Mayo car park, a decision now confirmed by both parties. The parking tariff will be €1.23 per hour (including IGIC), with charges calculated per minute of parking in compliance with consumer protection regulations (Law 44/2006, dated 29 December).
In addition, El Corte Inglés will be required to pay an annual fee of 16,690 euros.
