The land of the former BelaOlhão factory will be sold to private individuals, so that a “tourist, residential and commercial” space will be born there, he revealed to the Sul Informação António Miguel Pina, mayor of Olhão. A deal that has already been criticized by the local PSD, which accuses the PS executive of "using the power of the Local Administration to carry out operations with a purely real estate interest".
The Social Democrats voted against the proposal for the acquisition of this property by the Chamber and the municipal company Ambiolhão and say that «the real intention of the Municipality was not to serve the public interest, but to enable a deal worth 4 million euros for real estate investment purposes'.
This despite the fact that, a year ago, on City Day 2019, the City Hall opened a car park in this former factory and talked about the future profitability of the remaining space «with the transfer of workshops and other technical services».
The PSD adds that "it has always considered the eventual installation of Ambiolhão's shipyard and workshop services in that privileged location in the city out of context" and that it said this when it voted against the proposed acquisition of the factory.
The "suspicion" that the executive had other intentions "was confirmed by the proposal of the Eastern Detail Plan of Olhão, which focuses on the area of the former factory, and justifies the acquisition of the entire property by the Municipality of Olhão" , defended the Social Democrats, in a press release.
António Miguel Pina confirms that the Chamber is preparing to make a “tourist, residential and commercial” project viable on the site, ensuring that everything was done taking into account the interests of the municipality.
“There are potential people interested in transforming those lands into a tourist and commercial space. We are talking about a 5-star hotel, retail spaces and basement parking», he told the Sul Informação the mayor from Oyenne.
All of this will be framed by the Eastern Detail Plan of Olhão, which «is practically ready, is in the approval phase. We have the expectation that this operation will result in a gain of at least 100% for the municipality. We will earn at least twice as much».
In other words, the factory was bought for around 4,5 million euros and the mayor of Olhão plans to sell it for at least 9 million euros, "even more".
António Pina assures that it is about «transforming an industrial space into a tourist, residential and commercial space and, instead of being the private one to earn the money, we use this transformation – which is basically a right of the population – so that the revenue reverts to the community, enriching the public coffers instead of enriching a private one».
"In addition to the financial issue, which is crucial, our expectation is that this investment in Nascente will have a dynamizing effect similar to that of the Real Marina Hotel, which was also built in a damaged, deteriorated area, an old dump," added the mayor of Olhão, who recalls that since the opening of the hotel "began to appear more interested in dynamizing that area."
“If the PSD is against… What should have been done then? Turning a factory into housing and being the private one to earn the money? Is that what the PSD wants?”
As for the accusations that it is a question of “the use of the power of the Local Administration to carry out operations with a purely real estate interest”, António Pina argues that it is only a question of managing the territory.
“The position of the PSD reveals tremendous incompetence. Public Administration manages the territory. If gains for the public are taken from them, instead of them all going to the private sector, we feel satisfied», concluded António Pina.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues|Sul Informação
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