The scheme to create a new sports marina in Port Naos, Arrecife egded forward again yesterday. As the Port Authority of Las Palmas put the project up for tender for a second time. With the Authority hoping to entice a contractor by extending the concession to run the facility for at least 25 years.

The concession to the run the port has been extended for at least ten more years than was originally suggested in the competition opened last year, to create a more attractive proposition for private companies making the initial investment. As many leading island based construction companies felt that the initial fifteen year grant to operate the new facilities in the marina would not give sufficient scope to recoup the investment required at the outset.

The future sports harbour will occupy nearly 100,000 square metres, of which half will be on dry land, whilst the remaining area will consist of water.

The competition which was launched last year and included the possibility of filling in part of the harbour area next to the Fishing School has been abandoned by the Port Authority after an initial environmental study produced unfavourable results.

During the last few months the authority has considered numerous preliminary sketches of the new sports marina but has ultimately rejected them in favour of a new competition.

Amongst the private comapnies that entered the open competition last year were Puerto Calero and Puerto Agua Viva, the latter of which has requested compensation of nine million Euros for its tender, a claim that has been rejected outright by the Port Authority.

New proposals must be submitted to the Port Authority of Las Palmas within the next two months. And once adjudicated, the company which is awarded the new project will have sixteen months in which to complete the marina construction.