Cars parked in any free space and circulation difficulties were, until recently, the image of Bairro dos Centenários, in Faro. Now, and after the requalification work carried out by the Chamber of Faro, it is no longer possible to park in the interior of this old district of Faro and a wide pedestrian area was created, which turned this square into a kind of courtyard for the existing buildings there.
The renovation of this neighborhood, located next to the São Luís Stadium, was marked this Tuesday, June 12, with an official ceremony, which included a plaque to unveil and the traditional blessing.
A party that joined the one of the Provectus elderly support association, which occupies most of the buildings in the district and is the main beneficiary of the redevelopment, which traditionally makes an arraial de Santo António, on the night of 12 June.
It was under a row of paper flags, indispensable in any festival of the Popular Saints, that António Milheeiras Rodrigues, president of Provectus, explained the importance of this work. “This work has a great meaning. There was a renovation of the pavement here, but also of the sewers, which were a big problem. Only those who have gone through this know», he said.
With the requalification, Provectus – Association in favor of the Third Age gains another margin of maneuver to develop its activities. “Every day, meals are cooked here and distributed at home to around four dozen elderly people. But there are also many who come here to carry out their activities. We have several ideas for this space to become more dynamic and attractive», said António Rodrigues.
«This space is widely used by Provectus, but it is also a place of passage for people who live in the many buildings that exist around here. I really needed this arrangement. The space came out very well, with dignity and good presentation, so that whoever is here daily can enjoy it without having to walk in the mud», the mayor of Faro Rogerio Cod.
On the way, the parking lot was “reorganized”, removing the cars from the inner square of the neighborhood. "This area can now be used for the enjoyment of both residents and users of Provectus."
“This was a work that we wanted to do since the beginning of the previous term, it was one of our priorities. It was supposed to be done in 2016, but, as we were in that situation where we could not invest, due to the Financial Rebalancing Plan, it ended up being launched in 2017», summarized Rogério Bacalhau.
The mayor noted that “there was a slight delay in the work, taking into account situations we faced, related to basic sanitation, water supply and electricity. When we started the work, we came to the conclusion that the water and sewage networks were completely obsolete and Fagar had to intervene».
This meant that the work, which had an estimated initial cost of 126 thousand euros, has cost "another 27 thousand euros", the amount spent by the municipal company Fagar on water and sanitation infrastructure.
At the moment, "two families" live in this Faro municipal district. The rest of the houses are used by the elderly support association, which spreads its services over six of the eight buildings there. The tendency, revealed Rogério Bacalhau, is that the remaining houses, as they become vacant, are handed over to Provectus “to increase its activity”.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues|Sul Informação
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