Loulé City Council has already purchased eight plots of land, with construction potential for 128 dwellings, in an investment of 1,5 million euros. This is one of the most visible aspects of the Local Housing Strategy, which seeks to respond to a problem in which the municipality is «particularly affected».
Vítor Aleixo, mayor of Loulé, took advantage of the City Day celebrations, last Saturday, February 15, to present a set of structural projects “that are being planned, developed and some are even implemented in the city”.
One of them, then, is linked to the lack of housing – a widespread shortage in the Algarve. Thus, through the public initiative, the Loulé municipality intends, “in a very ambitious way, to significantly alleviate the problem of lack of housing in the next 10 years”. with direct support to 1400 households.
With regard to the city of Loulé, these eight plots of land with construction potential for around 128 dwellings have already been acquired, in an investment of 1,5 million. At the moment, the projects are “running at full speed”, said Vítor Aleixo.
Among these projects, one of the most significant is the ABC Loulé Active Life Health and Research which, along with Vilamoura, plans for Loulé to build the Mariano Gago Building, a center dedicated to research and health care, where various strategic areas of national institutions will be located (INSA – Doctor Ricardo Jorge National Health Institute , INFARMED, IPST – Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation, SPMS – Shared Services of the Ministry of Health, ACSS – Central Administration of Health Systems and DGS – General Directorate of Health).
In total, 7 million will be invested – in Loulé alone – in a «p project of great ambition in the area of biomedical sciences», with the installation of a Public Bank of Umbilical Cord Cells or the Entomology Research Center in this building. of the Algarve (CIEMA).
O aspiring Geopark Algarvensis Loulé-Silves-Albufeira, a multidisciplinary inter-municipal initiative, based on areas such as social, environmental, cultural or economic, is another challenge for the Municipality. According to Vítor Aleixo, it is foreseen that, «within two or three years», this territory could become a UNESCO World Geopark.
With regard to urban redevelopment, the inauguration of the 2nd phase of the Municipal Park of Loulé is coming soon. It is an investment of about 1,1 million that will allow the creation of new green spaces and areas for the practice of informal sports in what is the lung of the city, such as a street workout.
In terms of accessibility, the 2nd phase of the Loulé North Circular it will mean the realization of an old aspiration and constitutes an important investment – around 4 million. At this time, the tender for the work has already been approved at a council meeting.
On the other hand, it is the municipality's intention to create a new "modern avenue, with characteristics in line with the need for a city that adapts to the climate emergency, with generous sidewalks, trees and a bicycle path", in the North/East of the city, between Avenida Laginha Serafim and Rua Afonso de Albuquerque. The acquisition of the land has already started, at a time when the project is already at an advanced stage.
In the area of health, in the project's conclusion phase and practically starting the public tender, there is another structuring work for the city: a health unit that will integrate the group of Central Health Centers – ACES Central, Lauroé Family Health Unit – USF Lauroé, Community Health Care Unit – UCC Gentes de Loulé and University Health Center.
Of the 3,7 million, a part – 1,3M€ – is an expense of the Ministry of Health that has already been approved. Otherwise, oaprogress of this work has even had the green light from the Government.
The “Citadel of Security and Civil Protection of Loulé” is another of the long-awaited projects that promises to reinforce the central role of the city in the context of the region in these matters.
On March 2nd, the CREPC – Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command facilities will be inaugurated, an investment of 900 thousand euros.
The CODU (Orientation Center for Urgent Patients) returns to the Algarve and will be located in the INEM facilities that will operate in this Citadel. The tender for this project will soon be open, the investment of which is expected to be around 1,5 million.
Also in terms of partnerships in the area of security – «a fundamental pillar of a democratic State» – Mayor Vítor Aleixo spoke of the investment made in the Loulé Territorial Detachment Post, first with the arrangements in the stables (40 thousand euros and now with the improvement of the building itself.
Within days the work of Musealization of the Islamic Baths of Loulé (1,3 million), "unique in the country and the best preserved in the Iberian Peninsula" and which, as the municipal official underlined, "will be an ex-libris of this city".
But in the area of culture, another project of great importance is in sight: the Cultural Quarter. “I can assure you that Loulé will stay on the map, many tourists will flock to the city to visit our Cultural Quarter,” said Vítor Aleixo.
Within days the Cássima Car Park will also start, located on municipal land next to the Social Security services, which will allow the creation of 200 parking spaces for light vehicles, spaces for people with reduced mobility and a parking area for motorcycles and bicycles.
This investment of 435 euros «comes to meet a pressing need in the urban perimeter».
In the celebrations of the 32nd anniversary of the elevation of Loulé to the status of city, the mayor of Loulé also underlined the "vibrant moment of city life".
«Loulé knew how to reconcile tradition and the marks of the past, with modernization and adaptation to the new needs of society. It is a city with a soul, with values and principles, where people actively participate in its various dynamics, whether political, social, cultural or sporting. Inclusive city that cares for all its residents. It is a beautiful, balanced and attractive city, endowed with essential services for citizens and tourists who visit it», he also considered.
Between 2017 and 2018, «Loulé was the medium-sized municipality in the country that invested the most in public works».
If, in 2018, 88 works were launched, totaling 30 million, in the following year this number would be even more expressive: 115 works launched, corresponding to 57 million.
Although, only 14 million have reached the contracting stage of the project because, as explained by Vítor Aleixo, similarly to what happens all over the country, «the crisis has liquidated many companies and the demand today is much higher than the capacity of response from public sector construction entrepreneurs», he concluded.
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