Loulé Council is doing welcome things with its cash pile, including the purchase of the old casino in Quarteira and a 3,000 square metre lot near the Municipal Centre which is to be turned into a car park.
The old casino in Quarteira is a one of those emblematic, much loved buildings which was built in the early 1900s.
Referred to as “the old Casino” by generations of locals, is has served as the headquarters of the Quarteirense Recreation Society for years.
Equally important is the provision of additional parking spaces, for which the Council also has laid down significant cash.
With these initiatives, the Council states that two objectives have been met that perfectly fit the policy being followed by both Council and parish management: the rehabilitation of historical heritage and more parking spaces.
"This is an extremely important intervention since, in addition to increasing parking areas, it also allows for the organisation of traffic in the city," said the chairman of the Quarteira parish council, Telmo Pinto.
As for the old casino, it is "a building that is part of our architectural, social and cultural heritage and it is with great satisfaction that I can announce their acquisition for cultural purposes, thus serving the interests of the population," concluded Pinto.
Silves Council could learn from its colleagues in Loulé as the old casino in Armação de Pêra remains unloved and uncared for.
Hope was raised in 2015 by Silves mayor, Rosa Palma, "The council wants to look at the redevelopment of Armação de Pêra’s old casino because it is an emblematic building of high historical and architectural value, a reference point in the urban environment, as well as an integral part of the identity and collective memory of Armação de Pêra’s people and the Algarve itself."
Nothing happened, so the casino remains listed on Turismo de Portugal’s 'flog off old buildings' website, with the briefest of descriptions:
“This is a property with rehabilitation needs in view of its state of conservation. Part of its outdoor space includes a children’s playground.”
The Armação de Pêra casino opened in 1958, enjoying a golden age in the 1960s which led seamlessly to a period of decline and closure in the 1970s.
Brief stints in the 1980s as a bar and a café did not provide the financial stability needed to enable the building to be maintained. The building was partially restored in 1999, and has been used on-and-off for art exhibitions but never again found its feet.
Silves Council's finances were left in disarray by the outgoing Mayor, a position that local ratepayers have been forced to underpin and remedy, so the chances of the Council buying the casino are slim.
Carvoeiro's casino was abandoned in the 1930s and only in October 2017 was action agreed, demolition.
See also:
'A future for Armação de Pêra’s old casino' A future for Armação de Pêra’s old casino'
Carvoeiro's old casino to be demolished
