The City Council of Madrid has admitted the existence of a "material error" in the reclassification of the Sports City of Real Madrid that will be corrected by the municipal Administration itself, according to sources from the City Council who have indicated to Europa Press.
The problem is located in "a report that miscalculates the benefit: it rises from 1.46 to 98.6 million," as the newspaper 'El País' reports. The document, "prepared by a consultancy, makes a mistake in a simple multiplication," the newspaper states.
The mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has confirmed in an appearance before the media that it is "a material error in the calculation of the fees, fundamentally of the Tax on Constructions, Installations, and Works (ICIO)."
As he detailed, it is "an error that has no practical consequences for one reason, because those 98 million were not going to be collected." "We always collect based on what the percentage is and what the tax rate is. The error is not about the tax rate, but about the coefficient that has been calculated, therefore, there is no real economic loss for the City Council of Madrid. What is true is that there is that error and what needs to be done is to rectify it," the mayor emphasized.
Martínez-Almeida has acknowledged that the report "is erroneous in one point," which forces to "rectify that point and follow the relevant procedures." He stressed that "this frustrates the operation, which is a good operation for the city. It is an operation in which this City Council will have land and facilities for the neighborhood of Valdebebas that until now they were not going to be able to have, with a considerable increase in green areas, with public facilities within that land."
He insisted that "where it was exclusively land of Real Madrid, now it is land of Real Madrid but also municipal, we gain land for the people of Madrid to improve the facilities of the neighborhood of Valdebebas and to improve the green areas," reiterating that "the error has no material repercussions on the accounts of the City Council because it was going to collect what needs to be collected, not what was stated in that report."
In addition, he added that "if anyone has any doubt that this consultancy had to make that report, they have nothing more than to appeal it or challenge it." The mayor has defended at all times "the legality of the administrative action."
The future "Silicon Valley of southern Europe"
During last summer, leftist groups labeled the operation as a "windfall" and "customized urban planning," demanding that José Luis Martínez-Almeida's team demonstrate the general interest. The modification approved then introduces new uses that will make possible the establishment of offices, hotels, and shops, as well as private health and educational facilities, including a hospital and a university.
This is an underutilized area in Valdebebas, with a surface area similar to that of Retiro Park and owned by Real Madrid, which will be transformed in 2035 into the "Silicon Valley of southern Europe," a hub of technological innovation with the creation of "a large digital campus that will attract innovation, entrepreneurship, and talent alongside high technology and research," as explained by the municipal spokesperson, Inma Sanz, at the press conference following the Government Board meeting.
This large space, located between the districts of Hortaleza and Barajas and covering 120 hectares, currently houses the Real Madrid Sports City in 35 of them, while in the remaining 85 there is no use or service for the citizens. However, since July 31 of last year, "the 85 hectares of vacant land are projected to become a new center for technological innovation with the purpose of catapulting the capital as the Silicon Valley of southern Europe."
The urban regeneration project promoted by Real Madrid is called Madrid Innovation District. The specific modification of the General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU) that was submitted to the Government Board must now go through the Plenary for provisional approval and, subsequently, through the Community of Madrid for its final approval. Once the urban procedure is completed, the schedule anticipates that the urbanization works will be carried out between 2028 and 2030, while the progressive construction of the technological innovation center and the rest of the buildings will take place between 2029 and 2035.
Million-dollar investment and new jobs
According to the socioeconomic impact report, the investment needed to build this technological campus will exceed 2 billion euros. Once it reaches full operational capacity, it is estimated that it will contribute 1.213 billion euros annually to Madrid's GDP and generate 23,800 jobs in knowledge-intensive sectors (scientific, educational, and health).
The proposal notably increases the areas designated for open spaces, expands green zones, and environmentally improves the surroundings of the Arroyo de la Plata, creating new pedestrian routes, landscape connections, and open recreational areas for public use.
Thanks to this planning revision, the City Council will receive more than 200,000 square meters for free, that is, 20 hectares, of new public land. Of this area, about 166,000 square meters will be reserved for green zones with the aim of reinforcing the continuity of the Metropolitan Forest and enabling a linear park next to the Arroyo de la Plata. Another 35,000 square meters will be allocated to new public facilities linked to innovation and technology.
A strategic enclave for innovation
The future campus will be an open space for activities related to research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the transfer of knowledge and talent. The planned design responds to the green campus model, with large recreational areas that facilitate personal relationships and sustainable mobility, prioritizing electric vehicles, bicycles, and walking.
The new area will combine spaces for technology companies, offices, research, training, and complementary services, with the aim of creating an innovative ecosystem that consolidates Madrid as one of the main technological hubs in southern Europe. According to the City Council, this will help boost the Madrid economy by attracting national and international investment, the arrival of new companies, and the creation of qualified jobs.
To this end, the location of the plot will be taken advantage of, especially advantageous due to its proximity to the airport, the Valdebebas interchange, the Isabel Zendal Hospital, Ifema Madrid, and the future City of Justice. The land borders the Fuente Fría Norte and Solana de Valdebebas areas to the north; with the airport to the east; with the M-11 road to the south; and with the M-40 to the west.
New urban uses and more buildability
The plot is currently classified and categorized as consolidated urban land and qualified as private sports equipment. With the modification, new uses of equipment and tertiary in all its modalities will be incorporated —except for large commercial surface—, compatible with innovative activity. Existing sports uses are preserved and the buildability is raised to 532,550 square meters, which represents an increase of 172,550 square meters compared to the current situation.
The new development will be fully integrated into the urban fabric through a planning that will prioritize the quality of public space and sustainable mobility. The text will now remain in public information until the end of September for the submission of allegations.