Banesto, who foreclosed on the La Cañada del Ingenio car park in Frigiliana after the owners got into financial difficulties, have put the car park up for sale. The Council, in the meantime, is trying to negotiate the reopening of the car park until a suitable buyer can be found.
The car park closed last November after the company who built it, Cruz del Pinto S. L., were unable to pay their debts, the Banesto bank taking over ownership.
Cruz del Pinto S. L. believes that part of the problem was that the Council had promised to remove street parking in the town to encourage the use of the car park. The economic crisis was the other major factor.
The Council itself does not have sufficient funds to purchase the car park. Around 60 people paid for parking spaces in the facility (there are 496 places) and they were issued with a key so as to be able to gain entry.
Very few of the shop spaces forming part of the car park attracted potential tenants, probably due in part to the economic situation.