ACCORDING TO recent reports, England football manager, Sven Goran-Eriksson’s project to build a sports complex with hotels and residential properties in Lagos (seearticle in December 23 issue of The Resident) is still in the early planning stages and has apparently come up against some difficulties.
“The proposed project collides with restrictions relating to the Reserva Agrícola Nacional (national agricultural reserve) and the Reserva Ecológica Nacional (national ecological reserve),” says Lagos Câmara President, Júlio Barroso. However, Barroso remains confident that the development can still go ahead. “We will do everything in our power to make this investment viable,” he says, and defiantly comments: “We are not going to allow the State to block such a fundamental project.” Júlio Barroso is clearly very keen to press ahead with the project he considers to be “of great value for the borough” and intends to “quickly resolve” any problems that are pending.
Meanwhile, Sven’s management agency in London, Athole Still, remains silent on the subject, perhaps preferring to wait until the proposed project is fully approved for construction before making any comment on the investment.
The former Benfica coach is said to be one of the main parties in a group of investors that intends to construct the major new complex in Corte Bispo, Bensafrim, an investment worth in the region of 50 million euros.
The proposal foresees a construction area of around 80,000sqm, within a total area of 600 hectares. The development is projected to include three hotels, a spa, golf course, mini stadium with a seating capacity for 8,000 spectators and a further six football pitches. In addition, there would be tennis courts, a riding centre and a residential area. It is reported that the development would be marketed to professional sports teams for use as a training camp, as well as to tourists at the top end of the market.
