Events building for Messines, Silves dome completed, Lagoa market area development delayed

silvesDomeSilves council plans to spend €950,000 on building a venue for events in S. Bartolomeu de Messines.

The council’s announcement was published today in the Diário da República and opened a tendering process to choose the company to do the construction work.

The project is for a ‘multifunctional space for fairs and other events, including changing rooms, public toilets, secretariat, ticket office and dressing rooms.’

The estimated build time is predicted to be nine months.

At the Silves Paços do Concelho (council building) the conservation and restoration work on the magnificent dome (pictured above) above the central stairwell has been completed by a specialist council team.

The work successfully has halted further degradation of the Moorish designed dome and restored the important tile work to its full effect.

In Lagoa, the delays to the redesign and improvement of the market area and adjacent roads already has  suffered time delays, a situation that the council opposition has used to political advantage.  

Social Democratic councillors  have criticized the way the work is going, arguing that it should have progressed in distinct phases and at another time of year.

The ruling Socialist Party admits there have been problems, not least with poor weather, but say the work will have been worth the effort and splitting the work into stages would have increased costs by up to 70% and the project time by two months.

Despite the rain that has delayed work, "it is still within the plan to finish the work in the first weeks of March 2017."