The municipal executive of Viana do Castelo approved today the opening of the public tender for the construction of Sustemare – Center for Technology and Innovation in Energies and Ocean Technologies, budgeted at more than 3.7 million euros.
The decision was taken unanimously at a city council meeting.
The construction period for the new facility is 365 days, with a base amount of 3,660,611.22 euros.
The center will be built on the campus of the Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão (ESTG), in Praia Norte, in a partnership between the municipality, the polytechnic university and the Sustemare association, which promotes research, technological development and knowledge transfer, in areas of strategic relevance for the region.
The project, submitted to the Norte 2030 program, presents a total investment of 5,126,434.96 euros, including VAT, with the municipality of Viana do Castelo bearing the costs of construction and supervision of the works.
The architectural and specialty project is led by the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (IPVC), with a budget of 123,000 euros, while Sustemare – Center for Technology and Innovation in Energies and Ocean Technologies will invest 1,098,587.06 euros in equipment and project revision.
The infrastructure to be built comprises a two-story building with a gross floor area above ground of about 2,811 square meters, including classrooms, offices, laboratories, sanitary facilities and open-space areas.
After the completion of the works, the City Hall will transfer management of the building to Sustemare for 30 years, for the intended purposes.
Also at today’s meeting, the municipal executive of Viana do Castelo rejected the requests submitted to the municipality by the concessionaire of Viana Camping for a five-year extension of the concession term and for the suspension of rent payments.
The concessionaire justifies the extension of the term by the reinforcement of investment from three to four million euros and the waiving of rent payments (five thousand euros per month) due to changes to the City Urbanization Plan (PUC), until the park becomes operational.
The municipal executive voted in favor of the opinion of the municipal services that denied both the extension of the concession and the suspension of rent payments requested in the application, the latter since August.
The contract, signed on May 26, sets the term at 20 years, counted from the 30th day after the date of grant and signing of the concession contract.
It is also foreseen that the term of the concession contract can be renewed, for equal and successive periods of five years, not exceeding a maximum total duration of 30 years.
The transformation of the former camping park of Viana do Castelo into a nature and well-being tourism space is expected to cost four million euros and when it opens, in May 2027, will create 32 direct jobs.
The new space, located in Cabedelo, in the parish of Darque, on the left bank of the Lima River, will be called FeelViana Nature and will include 17 glamping accommodation units and 42 spaces for motorhomes.
There is also planned a ‘complete wellness zone,’ a restaurant with a healthy concept and ‘lifestyle,’ and a ‘Performance Training Center’ integrated into nature and open year-round.
