Category: Clipping

A preliminary report will be presented by the jury stating the winner, up to the end of April, provided the decision is not challenged.

The City Hall of Porto has already disclosed the three candidates disputing the total rehabilitation and partial management of the old Industrial Slaughterhouse – the main project for the region of Campanhã, presented two years ago. According with the information given by the autarchy’s website, Mota-Engil Engenharia e Construção, SA, Alexandre Barbosa Borges, SA (ABB) and the company group Alberto Couto Alves, SA and Lúcio da Silva Azevedo & Filhos, SA (Lucios) were the approved candidates. The preliminary results on the winner are to be disclosed at the end of April.

Also, at the end of April is the disclosure of the preliminary decision given by the jury that will be indicating the application in the best position to win, according with the presented assessment model. The candidates will be given the possibility to file indictments or complaints. The final decision by the jury will follow, confirming the winner mentioned in the preliminary report or not.

The winner will be in charge of developing the project for the reconversion of the old Slaughterhouse, estimated in about 15 million euros. The deadline for the execution of this work is two years, preceded by a period of seven months for project completion. The winner is also awarded with the exploitation of the majority of the 20.500 square metres of equipment for 30 years. The remaining 9200 square meters will be managed by the municipal company GO Porto.

The programme for the Slaughterhouse established the rehabilitation of most of the equipment and the demolition of some structures. The project also includes the construction of a new building, in the back of the land, from which there will be a new connection to the subway and parking area of Estádio do Dragão.

The municipality will manage the cultural and social areas – like Museu da Indústria, a museum space for the memories of the building itself, artistic residence areas, one auditorium and workshops – via Go Porto, and the winner of the tender will be awarded with the vastest area, destined to companies and commerce.

Last year, when the tender programme was presented to the Council (during the previous term of office), the councilman Ricardo Valente stated that despite the municipality is paying the concession holder for the areas that will be managed by the former, this may become a “zero cost” operation, because the concession holder will also have to pay Go Porto for the use of a building that shall remain municipal property.

In, Publico

The hotel chain Catalonia Hotels & Resorts is coming to Porto, in a partnership with the constructor Lucios.

Catalonia Hotels & Resorts, one of Spain’s main hotel chains is coming to the Portuguese market in 2020. Porto was the selected city for this, following a partnership with the constructor Lucios, specialized in urban rehabilitation.

The business “confirms the new strategy of Lucios Engenharia e Construção for the real estate sector”, by introducing a new business model based on ‘turnkey’ projects. The real estate process is entirely ensured by the constructor, from property acquisition to project execution, licencing, construction, counselling and consultancy, stated the company in a press release.

“This new strategy allows us to adapt to new market requirements that show a strong demand from foreign investors. By designing these turnkey projects, we can provide the client with an added value service while ensuring that their entry in the Portuguese market is sustainable”, notes Filipe Azevedo, administrator of Lucios, while assuming that they are aiming for this new area to be responsible for 40% of the turnover of the company.

This project means an investment of 14 million euros from Catalonia Hotels & Resorts, including, among other services, the acquisition of five properties in the historical area of Porto (property of Lucios) and the rehabilitation works. These works will be developed for 18 to 24 months. The opening is expected to occur in 2020. The expansion director of Catalonia Hotels & Resorts recognises that entering the Portuguese market is an “old goal”, and that the group will still be seeking new opportunities, both in Porto and Lisbon.

“Both cities are highly interesting from the tourism standpoint and hold great profitability potentials. This way, they could not be left out of our current international expansion polity”, claims Federico Holzmann. The first Catalonia Hotels & Resorts unit in Portugal will have 86 rooms, a garden, interior pool, SPA, meeting rooms and other services.

This group currently holds 68 hotel units in five countries: 56 in Spain, two in Belgium (Brussels), one in Germany (Berlin) and one in the Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo). Catalonia Hotels & Resorts also holds four resorts in the Dominican Republic and four in Mexico.

In Dinheiro Vivo.

The restoration of Mercado do Bolhão was awarded for 22,4 million euros. This endeavour, submitted to a new community funding, is expected to begin in 2018 and conclude in 2020.

The website of the City Hall of Porto has disclosed that this work, subject to a public tender started in December, with a base price of 25 million euros, was “awarded to the group Alberto Couto Alves, SA and Lúcio da Silva Azevedo & Filhos, SA by the amount of 22.379.000 euros, with the global execution deadline being 720 days [about 24 months, i.e. 2 years]”.

In addition, the City Hall states to have submitted on Tuesday a “second application to community funds” for “the investment of 7.406.647,06 euros” in the restoration of Bolhão, in order to add this funding to a first application that was already approved and that resulted in “the community funding of 1.566.263,27 euros (from an eligible investment of 1.842.662,67 euros)”.

The autarchy says works should start at the beginning of 2018, but this start was initially schedule “for September”, but has been “delayed in the tender phase, due to disputes between candidates that led to the suspension of procedures by virtue of the law”.

The City Council notes that the international tender for the rehabilitation of Bolhão “gained the interest of 41 economic operators which led to the submission of 12 applications, some of them group applications, at an initial stage”.

“The application of the technical and financial requirements established by the procedure resulted in the selection of eight applications. In the second phase, these candidates were called to submit a proposal. Five proposals were received, and one was excluded by the tender jury, he added.

The autarchy adds that “when the preliminary hearing was already in course, two of the candidates filed an indictment” and that “after analysed by the procedure jury, two more candidates were excluded from the tender”.

“Proposal assessments were concluded on the 3rd [Friday] with the approval of the final report by the Board of Directors of GO Porto [municipal company for the Management of Public Works]. The qualifying phase of the group is currently on its course”, stated the municipality.

The municipality notes that the temporary market that is harbouring the traders of Bolhão during the 24-month works is completed since September, being a “temporary structure created by the autarchy with an area that encompasses over five thousand square meters”, in Centro Comercial La Vie, at Rua Fermandes Tomás.

The temporary market was visited on September 20^th, by then candidate and now mayor Rui Moreira, who has highlighted the “optimal conditions” of the temporary market created to hold 86 traders of Bolhão. He was also satisfied by the adhesion of 80% of traders to market requalification.

During the visit, Cátia Meirinhos, administrator of GO Porto, has informed that 74 interior traders of Bolhão – from which 61 stalls (butcher, fruit, vegetables or fish), four restaurants, one grinder and eight carts – are to be transferred to the temporary market.

She added that from the 100 market interior traders, 25 have terminated their activity, mostly due to age related reasons.

As to the 40 traders from the exterior stores, 12 will be transferred to the temporary market, while the others have found solutions in other locations and about nine were considering the termination of their activity at the time.

In JN

Mercado Beira-Rio, located at the marginal road of Gaia, has opened with a renewed concept that combines the gastronomic experience with the tradition of fresh food.

The revival of an emblematic space where fresh products were always king for 80 years that opens with a modern concept, combining shopping experience with gastronomy. After many lifeless years, Mercado Beira-Rio, at the marginal road of Vila Nova de Gaia, has opened after undergoing a rehabilitation process. All the stalls – fruit, vegetables, butcher – and the traditional coffee shops and crafts stores that were still in the building were improved and became neighbours to modern restaurants, wine and beer bars and traditional pastry shops.

Mercado Beira-Rio extends over a thousand square meters and holds 47 commercial areas. This market holds 178 indoor seats and 344 outdoor seats and will be operating under extended opening hours all over the year. The project will generate about 100 new jobs and a turnover of about 3.5 million euros. When going to the old/new market, customers will find all traditional products that were already sold and will also enjoy Portuguese cuisine flavours. It’s only a matter of deciding which delicacy to choose from the suckling pig of O Forno do Leitão do Zé, the codfish of Chef Manuel de Almeida (Bacalhau do Porto) or the cheese and sausage boards of Queijaria Portuguesa.

In addition, some of the names already known in Porto like Barriga Negra, Taxca, Alta Burguesia and da Terra will also be present at the new Mercado Beira-Rio. International flavours will be represented by the famous Italian piadinas from Piadina Mia, sushi and ceviche from Sushi no Mercado and the croquettes from Kroquet, inspired in Dutch croquetteries.

As to pastry, customers will also find the chocolates and homemade ice-creams of Arcádia, the creativity of Miss Pavlova and the brigadeiros of Brigadão.

As this market is in Gaia, where Port Wine cellars are located, beverages will also be present via a wine store and a bar with the brands Sogrape and a Super Bock Beer Experience area.

Those who are in charge for this market ensure that more than a gastronomic destination, they will be focusing on a cultural agenda that includes live music, art exhibitions, poetry recitals and seasonal theme events all over the year.

Mercado Beira-Rio will be managed by Fachada Oceânica, a consortium formed by the constructor Lucios, specialists in urban rehabilitation and Legível Puzzle, whose partners are PEV Entertainment, a promoter of cultural events like Festival Marés Vivas, and Jocalu Higiene Industrial. The City Hall of Vila Nova de Gaia has granted the exploitation of this place for a period of 30 years.

In Dinheiro Vivo

Lucios has entered the hotel development and its portfolio counts with six units.

The company has specialized in urban rehabilitation and then proceeded to hotel development. As of today, in the scope of a business diversification journey, Lucios takes a change in the exploitation of commercial areas via Mercado Municipal Beira-Rio, at the marginal road of Gaia. The opening is scheduled for September 12th.

This a two in one debut: concessions and commercial properties, with tourism in the background. This is a low risk operation (investment of €1,4 million euros and monthly rent of €2 thousand euros), made in a partnership with PEV Entertainment, the promoter of Festival Marés Vivas, and represents the new company philosophy of Lucios in a nutshell, focused on “diversifying and mastering every project stage, based on a turnkey logic”.

This is an example “because it combines building renovation with the focus on a tourism-oriented business”, said Filipe Azevedo, the representative of the third generation managing this family constructor. Mercado Beira-Rio “will benefit from the impressive touristic flow of the marginal road of Gaia”. Filipe Azevedo believes the strength and prosperity of tourism “will last for long”.

The market was decaying, presenting low occupancy rates with few fruit and vegetable stalls, when the City Hall opened a public tender for its renovation and exploitation. The Lucios consortium submitted its application and won the concession for a period of 30 years, among three candidates. With the Port Wine cellars nearby, the market will be managed under a shopping centre logic, creating at the riverside front a culture and leisure block with 47 areas distributed by two floors.

The concept is close to the model applied at Mercado do Bom Sucesso, in Porto, but benefits from the combination of new store owners with the traders who have resisted the old market’s decay. The offer is therefore varied, focused on “traditional Northern restaurants”, in crafts, wine and flavours –  the 22 available areas were already occupied. They will be sharing the market with 11 already existing fresh food stalls – and there is also a butcher moving to the new market version. This is a “formula for success” that Lucios intends to repeat “if there are any other municipalities willing to do this”, said Filipe Azevedo.

Six own hotels

Specialized in rehabilitation, Lucios gained experience with works built in the historical centres of Lisbon and Porto for hotel business operators, before going into the business on its own by identifying opportunities and promoting new units. The hotels Intercontinental, Eurostar Heroísmo, NH Porto Batalha or the hostel Bluesock, all in Porto, are the proof of the mission of Lucios. The expansion of Hotel Carris and the building of a new unit near Praça do Marquês, are examples of ongoing works in Porto. In addition, Lucios is building two hotels for foreign investor in the capital of Mozambique.

Lucios’ debut as a developer was in 2016, by transforming an old theatre and dance school into The House Ribeira Hotel (56 rooms), whose management was then handed over to Sonae, under a long-term rental (30 years). The building could not be sold by its owner, Associação Balleteatro. Then, Lucios restored a Pombaline building in Downtown Lisbon, bringing the style of hotel AlmaLusa (28 rooms) to Lisbon. In both cases, Lucios operated in conjunction with investors “that had a similar business vision”. This is a model that “allows us to release resources, promote new projects and create more works for the constructor”, said Filipe Azevedo.

And Lucios is preparing to release four more projects. In Porto, the renovation of the old Pensão Avis at Praça da Batalha (95 rooms) is starting in September, as well as the transformation of an adjacent building to Praça Carlos Alberto (70 rooms). The rehabilitation of a third building at Rua do Bonjardim (83 rooms) starts in January 2018. The only construction from scratch is made in Lisbon, near Largo do Rato (102 rooms) – in which the participation of Lucios is 25%.

These businesses involve 40 million euros. Lucios believes more acquisitions are to be made this year in Lisbon or Porto and is already checking the historical centres of other cities. The temptation of entering the hotel management sector “is significant, considering the favourable margins of this business”, but for now Lucios has been able to resist.

From the residential standpoint, Lucios also shares project risk with its financial partners. Now under construction are the complexes Essenza with 25 apartments over Parque da Cidade do Porto (20 million euros) and the condominium of Foz with six dwellings (8 million euros).

 

MULTIPURPOSE ROSA MOTA

The consortium Lucio/PEV is involved in a second larger operation in the area of municipal concessions. In November, the constructor is starting the renovation works for the interior of Pavilhão Rosa Mota, which will transform this structure into a modern, multi-purpose and versatile arena in May 2018. This work will be made for 8.5 million euros. The aisle will be converted into a congress centre (4700 congressmen) and a space for sports competitions (5580 seats) with capacity for up to 8660 people.

The works are expected to begin in October and are costing eight million euros to the consortium Porto Cem Por Cento Porto, which have one the tender for the requalification and exploitation of Pavilhão Rosa Mota. The interior will be totally renewed.

And the circular openings in the dome of Pavilhão Rosa Mota? When building rehabilitation is complete – in May 2019 – each of those small windows will bear a mechanism that will allow them to shut completely, preventing light from passing to the interior. This is one of the new features proposed by consortium Porto Cem Por Cento Porto for the future Pavilhão Rosa Mota, whose opening is scheduled for May 2019.

Filipe Azevedo, representative of Lucios in the consortium that also includes PEV Entertainment and Oliveira Santos Consultores, has explained this Wednesday morning that the possibility of opening and closing the passage of light in the small windows of the dome will not affect the exterior of the building designed by the architect Carlos Loureiro and inaugurated in 1952. Filipe Azevedo also added that as this is a “technical issue” the original building designer was not informed about this situation. “Light affects some events, so we had to enter this mechanism. We had to find a way to close those opening for certain events”, said Filipe Azevedo, during project presentation. “This was also established by the [rehabilitation] project of architect Carlos Loureiro [of 2009]”, stated the mayor Rui Moreira.

The future Pavilhão Rosa Mota, whose rehabilitation will cost eight million euros, will provide the building with a brand-new interior. The seats will be removed and replaced for new folding seats, distributed by four rings. The floor below the main area will bear congress support rooms, a restaurant area and other support areas like dressing and locker rooms. These changes will transform the building in an actual multipurpose, completely acclimatised building.

The Consortium has presented a number of simulations, demonstrating the versatility of the space, depending on the held event, and respective capacities. For a congress, the main room has a maximum capacity of 4370 seats, but for a sports event the maximum capacity is 5580 and for a concert 8660. This can vary as well. For a concert, stage location may lower the capacity. For congresses we must consider the three support rooms in Floor 0 (below the main floor) which contribute with more 1375 seats.

This project is still pending the final licensing in the City Hall of Porto and the required external permits for the works to begin. Filipe Azevedo explained that the works are scheduled for October and they will provide the building with “the most modern and recent technologies existing in the market at all levels”, including acoustics, one of the “most complicated” areas to manage. The goal is to transform Pavilhão Rosa Mota into a building that holds events frequently. “We intend it to be as lively as possible. We wanted it to be alive every day”, he said.

Jorge Silva, from PEV Entertainment has also highlighted the importance of the building surrounded by the gardens of Palácio de Cristal – that will remain untouched – saying that this building will be the “reference that Porto deserves and that Portugal needs”. “In its vicinity there are many streets with high cultural propensity, like Rua Miguel Bombarda or Rua do Rosário, that flow to Palácio de Cristal. We want it to be the link for downtown Porto”.

Rui Moreira remembered the “several difficulties” felt over the course of this rehabilitation process, but said he is satisfied with the result. “We wanted a multipurpose building that would solve a number of existing deficiencies in the city. Porto is a nice city for congresses, but Alfândega is not enough”, said Rui Moreira, also highlighting the ability of Pavilhão Rosa Mota to be a sports pavilion or a concert hall. The mayor of Porto said the expectations for the centrality intended by the consortium are also good, adding that the installation of “light connections between this equipment and Alfândega” is currently in place and that Metro do Porto is studying the future Linha Rosa with “two stations” in the vicinity of Palácio de Cristal.

The rehabilitation of Pavilhão Rosa Mota was handed to Carlos Loureiro during the office of Rui Rio, but the initial proposal of the architect was not well received by the city, because it involved the construction of a new building that would affect the gardens and lake of Palácio de Cristal. The project was then remade, but the City Hall would eventually abandon the rehabilitation project due to financial reasons.
Rui Moreira opened a new public tender for the requalification and exploitation of the building that ended up in courts. The consortium that is now responsible for the requalification of the building is one of the two candidates initially that were excluded by the tender jury without even assessing the applications because they considered the applications did not meet the requirements of the tender document.

In Publico

Fruits and vegetables stalls, but also restaurants, stores, Port wine tastings and a stage for concerts. Mercado Beira-Rio is renewed and almost ready to open.

The old Mercado Municipal da Beira-Rio, in Vila Nova de Gaia reaches the 21st century at the end of this month. After being closed for six months in the scope of profound rehabilitation works, the market kept the same fresh food vendors which add to the new restaurants and shops. Overall, 40 fixed jobs will be created, plus some seasonal jobs in the summer.

“We have a total of 30 stores and stalls, plus two cultural areas: one for conferences and workshops and another for musical events, with a stage”, explained the mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia to Observador. Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues’s wish is that the gastronomic experiences will attract customers, but that this is not the only building attractive. The idea is to reproduce the model of Mercado de San Miguel, in Spain, i.e. “to combine the market with leisure in a place where people may experience gourmet food, workshops and also a cultural element”, said the mayor.

The market has 1.180 square metres and two floors. A mezzanine was made on the first floor and can be rented for private events. The interior esplanade will hold concerts and other events. Outside, there is a generous esplanade by the front façade. “In moments of higher occupancy, the market’s rear exterior and lateral esplanades will also be used”, Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues added. The goal is to create “a cultural and leisure block”.

Fruit and vegetable vendors and the butcher and fishmonger “are all the same, except for one that dropped out”, he highlighted. The rents are the same for the old vendors, but the conditions are much better. The yellow façade is now back to the original pink, the asbestos tiles were replaced by tiles that were like the original tiles. Among other improvements, the frames were fixed within a work that cost “around two million euros”, said José Rodrigues, one of the partners of the concession holder Douro Wine Market – a partnership established between Lúcio da Silva Azevedo & Filhos and Legível Puzzle – that was awarded with the concession for 30 years.

“The concession holder was responsible for everything”, clarified José Rodrigues, that will also gain 2.000€ in monthly rent. The only public investment made that benefits the market was the rehabilitation of Avenida Diogo Leite.

The market is located at the marginal road of Vila Nova de Gaia near the Port Wine cellars. To attract the many tourists seeking Port Wine, there are two areas that will be selling Port Wine and promoting tastings, said Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues. José Rodrigues added that UNICER will be responsible for the beers that will occupy a central space.

Moreover, there will be restaurants serving “suckling pig, sushi, ice-creams, sea food, hotdogs, francesinhas”, claimed José Rodrigues, giving some examples. Some brands are not chosen yet. “There are three times more interested parties than the spots we have available. Santini is interested, and Chefs José Avillez and Rui Paula are also interested, according to their responsible.

The rehabilitation of Mercado da Beira-Rio was one of the electoral promises of Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues, who also wanted to build on university residences. This was not possible due to the lack of space, but the market is ready. Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues cannot guarantee a day for the opening but believes that the market will be opening “in the last week of July or first week of August at the latest”, when everybody will be able to check out the new space. “Exacerbated optimism”, said the concession holder that thinks Mercado da Beira-Rio will most likely be opening in “mid-August”.

“I think this model is going to be used in other locations by the sea”, he said. Full markets or restaurants. A new restaurant at the top of Mercado da Afurada is inaugurated on July 18^th and was granted by the autarchy to Grupo Madureira’s.

Name: Mercado Municipal da Beira-Rio
Address: Av. de Ramos Pinto 148, 4400-261 Vila Nova de Gaia (Cais de Gaia)
Opening hours: Summer (May 1st to September 30th): Monday to Wednesday from 10:00 am to 00:00 am, Thursday to Sunday, from 10:00 am to 02:00 am
Winter (October 1st to April 30th): Monday to Wednesday from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm, Thursday to Sunday, from 10:00 am to 00:00 am

In Observador

Yesterday, the Candidate for PSD, Álvaro Almeida, was at the palace to see the projects

The City Hall of Porto has already adjudicated the transformation work of Pavilhão Rosa Mota into a congress and event centre and the consortium PEV/Lucios was given two years to complete these works. The long and polemic public tender process has delayed the works, which led PSD to mention the “incapacity in executing” large-scale projects by the administration of Rui Moreira, as claimed by Álvaro Almeida.

The contract entered into between the City Hall of Porto and the consortium that won the tender after many difficulties established no date for the beginning of works. The consortium that is formed by the producer PEV Entertainment and the constructor Lucios must decide on the schedule and the beginning of works, depending on the deadline for their conclusion, which is defined by the tender document, i.e. 730 after contract signing.

The contract was already initialled by the parties, after the Court of Accounts has declared that the municipality was exempt from issuing a prior approval, because the business would not bear costs to the City Hall of Porto. The autarchy is receiving 20 thousand euros per month for 20 years, and the concession holder is obliged to keep and exploit the pavilion, holding at least four international events per year.

If Álvaro Almeida’s wish to gain the October elections for PSD comes true, this project will be kept the same, despite his disagreement with what is being executed at Pavilhão Rosa Mota. The candidate has even admitted that if he were the mayor, he would have executed the previous project, which was more ambitious capacity-wise and that implied the construction of a new building in the garden, which was challenged at the time. But now the candidate says he has no time to spare.

“There is no such thing as the perfect project”, he argued. He believes the solution found in the meantime does not meet the city’s needs, because it cannot hold large-scale congresses or events that cannot be held at the pavilion or at the Congress Centre of Alfândega. If there were an equipment like this, Porto would for instance be able to host Festival da Canção, he added.

“Note that when he was a candidate, in 2013, Rui Moreira promised the construction of a congress centre at Palácio de Cristal. Now, four months from the end of his terms of office, there is nothing to see. Nothing has changed”, he stated. The candidate of authenticity criticised this during a pre-campaign initiative at the Palace during which he blamed the administration of Rui Moreira for the “decay and abandonment” of this equipment.

“This is an example of a problem that this mayor promised to solve and was not able to execute”, noted Álvaro Almeida. He believes the delay in starting this and other projects is a sign of “incompetence”. When he was a candidate he promised work, and not planning, stated Álvaro Almeida, including other projects on his critique.

Other than the palace rehabilitation, Álvaro Almeida treated Mercado do Bolhão and the slaughterhouse in the same way. The latter ceased to be a logistic centre (campaign promise in 2013) but is not yet the cultural centre presented in 2016, in Campanhã, the civil parish of the intermodal transport terminal that is still a project. He also added Linha Ocidental do Metro do Porto – a work that is not depending on the municipality, but that the municipality has dropped.

Anyway, Álvaro Almeida promises he will continue the ongoing projects to avoid any more delays, even if he does not fully agree with them. In the case of Pavilhão Rosa Mota, the costs to revert the project would be too much for the city.

 

In Publico