A major new €48 million shopping centre is being built in the south of Gran Canaria, bringing 68 shops and restaurants to the popular tourist area of Playa del Inglés.
The new Centro Comercial Playa del Inglés is scheduled to open during the first half of 2029 and will cover almost 70,000 square metres, including underground parking for 815 vehicles.
The development will be located on the boundary between the tourist resort of Playa del Inglés and the residential area of San Fernando de Maspalomas, in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.
Of the development's total area, approximately 23,000 square metres will be dedicated to commercial use. Plans include 68 units offering a mixture of fashion, footwear, leisure, food, supermarkets, bars and restaurants, while the 815 parking spaces will be located on underground levels.
The €48 million project is being promoted by Tefia SL and Supermercados Marcial SL, while commercialisation and management of the centre will be handled by Archigestión SA.
Developers hope the modern shopping complex will provide a significant boost to Playa del Inglés and offer an alternative to some of the area's older commercial centres, several of which have suffered years of deterioration or faced closure.
The announcement comes as questions continue to be raised about the condition and future of several of the established shopping centres in the tourist areas of southern Gran Canaria.
In June, San Bartolomé de Tirajana Council temporarily closed the Plaza Shopping Centre in Playa del Inglés after it failed to comply with fire safety regulations.
It was the second time in five years that the complex had been closed for the same reason, following a previous closure in February 2022.
Meanwhile, the Metro Shopping Centre has faced an uncertain future for more than a decade.
The complex suffered fires in 2011 and 2013 and was subsequently closed. The council officially declared the building to be in a state of ruin in 2022, confirmed that decision in 2025 and ordered its demolition.
However, a legal challenge by one of the business owners resulted in the demolition being temporarily suspended while the courts consider the case.
Artists' impression of the new CC Playa del Inglés (Image: AA&A Aguirre y Asociados).
What about the Kasbah?
Another of Playa del Inglés' best-known commercial centres, the Kasbah, dates back to the mid-1960s and has never undergone a complete refurbishment.
In 2023, a report from the Gran Canaria Cabildo called for the complex to undergo a major renovation.
Business owners subsequently announced plans for a €20 million redevelopment, which would involve demolishing the existing centre and rebuilding it. However, there have been no significant updates on those plans since they were announced.
Against this backdrop, the arrival of the new Centro Comercial Playa del Inglés represents one of the biggest private investments in the area's retail sector for years. The development could significantly change the shopping and leisure offering available to both residents and the millions of tourists who visit this part of Gran Canaria each year.
