Demolition work has begun on the former hospital residence and nursery run by Carmelite nuns in the centre of Torrevieja. Heavy machinery moved onto the site on Monday, marking the start of a municipal project valued at more than three million euros.

The new building, to be known as iHub Torretech, will serve as a centre for innovation, entrepreneurship and business development. It will include a technical office to manage and promote the hub, alongside a ‘Talent Launchpad’ designed to support training, mentoring and the incubation of start-ups.

Although the original structure had stood for more than seventy years, it did not have formal heritage protection. Municipal technicians have preserved selected features, including part of the exterior railings, a small chapel bell and sections of hydraulic floor tiles, which will be incorporated into the new design.

The contract, worth 3,223,331 euros including VAT, has been awarded to Tecnología de la Construcción y Obras Públicas S.A. Construction is scheduled to last fifteen months, with an extended guarantee period of forty-five months. The council has also launched a separate tender for the management of the hub, expected to cost more than 620,000 euros per year.