The building of the old train station in Lagos is one of the buildings and land that the public company Rede Ferroviária Nacional – Refer has for sale throughout the country.
In Lagos, in addition to the old station, Refer also intends to sell the land where it is located, shown in the company website as «lots for the construction of hotel units (hotel/aparthotel) next to Marina de Lagos», with «easy access to road and railway infrastructure and fluent car and pedestrian accessibility to the old town of Lagos, as well as to the beach area (Meia Beach)".
In the case of the land, which, according to what can be seen on the Refer website, has a total area of 7688 square meters, of which 5726 are the planned deployment area, for a total construction area of 16890 square meters, the company it even presents the image of a preview of what could be built there.
This preview is based on the Detailed Plan of the Area Surrounding the Railway Station of Lagos, approved by the Municipal Assembly of Lagos, on February 23, 2009. This plan provides for urban regeneration, definition of promotion strategies, and introduction of social services and road and urban infrastructure for users using this area.
Although, on the Refer website, it appears that the plots of land include the old railway station in Lagos, which could thus be included in the same business, Susana Abrantes, responsible for Communication and Image at Refer, assured the Sul Informação that the building “constitutes an autonomous building” and “is therefore placed on the market in an isolated manner”.
And how much does Refer ask for the building or land? Well, it seems that the secret is the soul of the business here too. The company's spokesperson only says that, "for market reasons, the prices of this type of assets are only disclosed upon consultation".
However, adds Susana Abrantes, “there are several interested parties, which are currently in the preliminary stage of interest analysis. For reasons of reservation, we cannot, at this stage, disclose the names of the entities that are involved».
The former train station in Lagos, located at the western terminus of the Algarve Line, was inaugurated on July 30, 1922 and deactivated in August 2006, when the new and more modern terminal opened, a short distance from the previous one. Since then, the old station has been closed and in disrepair, targeted by vandalism.
Maria Fernanda Afonso, Councilor for Culture at the Câmara de Lagos, says that the local authority “watches with concern” the future of the building, which for 84 years has marked the rhythm of many departures and arrivals in the city.
Comments