The sale of the historic Necochea Casino Complex in Buenos Aires Province has moved into a decisive administrative phase, with more than 20 licensed auctioneers and public brokers registering to participate in the selection process.
The decision will determine who conducts the public auction of the deteriorated beachfront property.
The list of professionals, all members of the Judicial Department's College of Auctioneers and Public Brokers, is expected to reach 26 and will be formally submitted to the municipal executive branch, as required under the ordinance authorizing the sale.
Once received, each auctioneer will be assigned a number and entered into a public lottery, a procedure that could take place on January 2 with notarial oversight as an institutional safeguard. Following the designation, authorities will issue the corresponding decree and set the auction date, projected for late January or early February.
Approved by majority vote in the Necochea Deliberative Council on December 2, the initiative enables the municipality to dispose of the complex after determining that a comprehensive public-sector recovery was financially unfeasible.
The casino building, which has experienced decades of abandonment and suffered fires in 1978, 2001 and 2020, as well as repeated vandalism, currently imposes significant maintenance obligations on the city, including electricity expenses in addition to security staffing.
Political debate around the process has intensified following changes in council composition. Opposition sectors expressed support for moving forward with the sale but proposed amendments to tighten transaction conditions, such as requiring council authorization for any future resale of the property and imposing a maximum 180-day deadline for demolition of existing structures.
Mayor Arturo Rojas rejected those changes, arguing that they could jeopardize both the auction timetable and the associated urban development plan intended to attract private investment to the site.
Necochea is a coastal city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, known for its tourism-driven economy, Atlantic beaches and port activity. The casino complex is one of its most emblematic waterfront landmarks, though it has remained abandoned for years
