THE NEW Portimão Municipal Market will be built without a large underground car park. Of the 385 underground parking spaces initially planned, only 75 are included in the new project. Financial constraints are the reason for this change of plan.
Simab (Installer of Market Suppliers Society) and Portimão Câmara, partners in the market management, were compelled to alter the project, thus decreasing the structure’s budget by half. A shopping centre measuring 1,570sqm, which was planned for the upper floor to attract young consumers to the traditional market, has also been reduced and will be located underground. Portimão Câmara approved the final version of the project in December.
Following this, the new building will be constructed on the market’s current car park and will consist of three floors. On the underground floor, as well as the car park, there will be 16 shops and a group of warehouses. A veterinary clinic is also planned for the area, as well as a restaurant with a terrace on the first floor. With the financial constraints of both partners, the project’s budget will decrease to 5.7 million euros, compared with a budget of 12.5 million euros originally planned in 2001.
The construction will begin in a few months, with the market remaining in the current building. After the structure is concluded, the old building will be demolished and plans for a new project to turn the land into a car park are predicted.
