Eye in the sky on the move

NOT content with having been dubbed the ‘Malaga Eye’ by the coast’s expat community, the company behind the city’s giant ferris wheel has come up with an ambitious project to ape the London Eye.

Presented to Malaga Mayor Francisco de la Torre, port authority leader Paulino Plata and Town Planning councillor Francisco Pomares at a meeting last week, the project, which would cost between €30-40 million to build, includes a 100-metre wheel with large, luxurious cabins similar to those found on London’s attraction.

Mederyt, the company which runs the current wheel, which is loved by some and hated by others (mainly residents of the apartments it overlooks), has proposed placing its new wheel next to the Melilla ferry terminal on dock two, and building a sloping walkway up from Plaza de la Marina to the top of the terminal, where a terraced area could be built which would serve to give access to the wheel itself and other facilities, probably including a restaurant. 

If the project is found to be viable and obtains approval, it would take an estimated two years to be built and in the meantime the company has asked to be allowed to leave the current wheel in place. While the port authority has agreed to this, the council said that local residents would have to be consulted first.

If it does go ahead, Mederyt will be seeking a 25-year, extendible contract on the facility.