DEVELOPERS OF the new Ferragudo Marina want to increase the project to cover all the areas on that bank of the River Arade. According to a report in Portuguese newspaper Barlavento, they believe that the abandoned land, which is currently full of rubbish, should be used to create parks and leisure areas, making the zone surrounding the marina and Pavilhão do Arade (congress centre) more attractive.
The proposal from developers Sociedade de Marinas do Barlavento (SMB) is currently being discussed with the Instituto Portuário e dos Transportes Marítimos (IPTM), the ports and maritime transports institute. According to Eurico Correia, managing director of the company, the aim is to guarantee a coherent landscape and, at the same time, add greater value to the project.
SMB feel apprehensive about constructing the new marina at Ferragudo, as the objective of creating a high quality structure could be negatively affected by the rubbish and wasteland. The area at stake is the land between the marina and the fishing port, between the marina’s hotel and the Pavilhão do Arade, part of which is already under construction, as are some areas up to the EN125. “We want to have a plan approved by Lagoa Câmara and the IPTM, so that it is possible to make substantial improvements in the area,” said a spokesperson for SMB.
The initiative will also allow SMB to establish a venue, with a capacity for 1,100 people, on the site of an old canning factory just off the port area, which will offer one of the best locations for staging shows, international events and congresses. The venue would be linked to the marina, its hotel and the Pavilhão do Arade.
With 320 moorings, Ferragudo Marina promises to make the Arade one of the principal points for nautical activity in the country. The area will boast a 350-bed hotel, a 1,000sqm shopping centre and an area for property development with space for 120 apartments and 50 luxury villas.
The contract terms are currently being discussed and all that remains is the final details of the speciality projects and the environmental impact study. It is expected that the work to construct the marina complex will commence in October 2006, representing an investment of between 80 and 100 million euros.
