All units taken at Malaga's Plaza Mayor for the first time in its history

Plaza Mayor has hung up the 'no vacancies' sign. For the first time in its more than two decades of history, the Malaga shopping and leisure centre has reached 100 per cent occupancy, which shows the good period that the venue located in the area of Guadalmar near Malaga airport is experiencing.

Opened in April 2002, the space currently has 120 shop units occupied (either fully operational or in the process of opening). This boost comes after six new brands were added to the centre this year. By sector, 63 per cent of the surface area is occupied by shops, 18 per cent by restaurants and the rest by cinemas and supermarkets.

Although it has always been very busy, it has never before been 100 per cent full. When a shop closes there are always numerous interested businesses, but the usual periods of negotiation and subsequent signing of the contract had always left premises empty. Now, the approaching summer, which is expected to be fantastic for business, has allowed all the deadlines to be accelerated.

Since the beginning of the year, six new businesses have started up or are about to start up, so all premises are expected to be operational by the beginning of June.

The first to open its doors was barbershop Moonlight Barber, accessories shop Miniso and watch shop Times Road. The first of these initially opened in Malaga in Calle del Zoco and offers hairdressing, barbering and male beauty services; the Asian chain of low-cost accessories opened a shop with more than 130 square metres in February; and the watchmaker did the same in March in premises very close to the previous one.

More recently there have been two food-related business openings. The last few weeks have seen the opening of the Casa Kiki patisserie, which has brought its giant 'palmera' pastries to the central square, next to McDonald's; and the Italian restaurant Amici, which has moved into the gourmet courtyard. The last few days have also seen the reopening of Massimo Dutti, the fashion store that now occupies one of the largest premises on the site (some 700 square metres).

The only remaining premises available will be opened this May by the 100 Montaditos chain, a company that is returning to the centre after a period of absence. The restaurant chain will also set up shop in the gourmet courtyard, thus completing the new commercial jigsaw of the Malaga site.

Having achieved this milestone, the director of the shopping centre, Juan Rafael Perea, expressed his satisfaction, considering that "it reaffirms the constant and sustained growth of Plaza Mayor and its consolidation as a commercial enclave of reference on the Costa del Sol". In his opinion, the offer available to customers "is unique not only for the quantity, but above all for the quality and variety of brands and services available".

Plaza Mayor has hung up the 'no vacancies' sign at a particularly progressive moment, as it is currently working on the future expansion of the centre, which will allow it to gain 7,500 square metres of floor space. The process has taken its first initial steps after Malaga city council approved the planning modification. The site will be extended to the west, occupying part of the car park next to the Guadalmar motorway. The parking area lost will be compensated with new underground parking spaces, bringing the total to 3,846.

The project, which is being developed in parallel with the extension of the neighbouring McArthurGlen Designer Outlet, includes the improvement of the road connections in the entire area surrounding the centre, including the extension of the Camino de Guadalmar in the section between the golf course and the roundabout at the entrance to the residential estate. The execution period for all the works (extension, creation of a park, drainage, services and roads) has been estimated at four years and an investment of 9,156,183 euros has been planned.