ARCHIVED - El Campello offers alternative location for Alicante Ikea

Ikea and the shopping mall would be located next to the AP-7 and A-70 motorways

In the light of the continuing lack of progress in the plans to open an Ikea store in the city of Alicante the municipality of El Campello, a few kilometres north-east of the provincial capital, has now entered the fray as a serious contender to supply an alternative location for the Swedish multinational.

Speaking in a radio interview, Benjamí Soler, the Mayor of Campello, explained that the town is well located in terms of logistics and communications: there are motorway exits nearby on the A-7 and the A-70, as well as the N-332, and the local TRAM rail line could be extended to the site. Furthermore, at the proposed location in the El Mesell industrial estate there would be room for the macro-shopping centre which Ikea has stipulated as one of the conditions for its setting up a store in the Costa Blanca.

In the light of this his council would be willing to speak to representatives of Ikea should the Alicante project fall through.

Sr Soler also maintained that the project should not be allowed to leave the Alicante area, while at the same time pointing out that the opening of Ikea in El Campello would bring a considerable boost to the local economy, providing numerous job opportunities for local residents.

At present, only around 30% of the working population of El Campello are employed within the municipality, as it acts as a dormitory town for the city of Alicante.

The Mayor reports that he has not spoken directly to representatives of Ikea, but that the company has been made aware of the council’s interest in putting itself forward as alternative location.