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Los Narejos shopping centre gets a second life as the new Mar Menor Leisure Centre
After years of neglect, the former Las Velas centre is being transformed and will reopen this summer with six cinemas, outdoor terraces and fresh energy
There’s finally light at the end of the tunnel for Los Narejos’ once bustling shopping centre. After standing half abandoned for years, the old Las Velas complex is set to reopen this summer under a new name: the Mar Menor Leisure Centre.The project is being led by Murcian businessman Enrique Roca, the main sponsor of Real Murcia CF, who bought the property two years ago with the goal of breathing life back into it. His vision has faced delays caused by legal disputes with the previous owner, but the transformation is now well underway.
“It’s as if time has stood still,” admits the centre’s manager, Miguel Ángel Canales, describing the state of the building when they first stepped inside. “The first priority is to renovate and update the entire protection and safety system, repair the leaks and draw up new plans.”
Stretching across more than 14,000 square metres, the complex includes around 25 shops, a former nightclub and six cinema screens, each with 100 seats. The movie theatres will be among the first spaces to reopen. “We want it to once again smell of freshly popped popcorn,” Canales says, adding that negotiations are already taking place with cinema operators.
A major part of the renovation involves giving the whole site a brighter, more open feel. The team plans to open new entrances from Avenida de Los Narejos and has asked the Ayuntamiento de Los Alcázares to pedestrianise the side lane so they can install outdoor terraces and bike parking. “A large pedestrian area could be created, with outdoor seating,” Canales suggests.
The updated design will also include decorative lighting, outdoor tables for bars and restaurants, and giant screens for themed events such as Carnival and the Berber Raids. Canales hopes the renewed space will become “a meeting place and entertainment hub” for both locals and visitors.
For now, a few long standing businesses, such as a supermarket, hair salon, bar and arcade, have kept the site ticking over, but the new owner’s goal is to create “an attractive space with affordable rental prices so that new businesses with quality facilities can set up shop.”
With work progressing quickly, the Mar Menor Leisure Centre aims to reopen before summer, offering residents and holidaymakers a fresh reason to visit Los Narejos.
Image: Google Images
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