Faro City Council is set to take over management of the commercial quay on 18 September, paving the way for the creation of a natural marina with capacity for 500 boats, the municipality announced today, 10 September.
In a statement sent to newsrooms, the council said the transfer would mark the first step towards the ‘Mar Hub’ (Sea Hub) project, which envisages a marina in the inner section of the existing commercial quay, along with facilities dedicated to nautical activities and research.
The transfer of the infrastructure to municipal management follows work carried out by a dedicated committee, which had been established to prepare a report ahead of the signing of an agreement between Faro City Council and the Administration of the Ports of Sines and the Algarve (APS).
“Without losing sight of the possible expansion of the outer dock, we believe we have all the conditions to build one of the best natural marinas in the country [there],” Faro Mayor António Miguel Pina said.
Pina added that the project is “practically complete” and that an environmental impact assessment is expected to get under way “within a month or two”, before subsequently being submitted to the relevant authorities for consideration.
For the mayor, the project represents “an opportunity to transform” Faro’s relationship with the sea, bringing together tourism, heritage, culture, and economic activity.
“Essentially, this is tourism. But it is also about heritage and culture. It is to take our history and turn it into value without turning it into an empty product; tackling seasonality and ensuring that Faro has activity, jobs, and life throughout the year,” he said.
Faro’s commercial quay, which has until now been managed by the APS, has been without regular commercial activity for almost a decade.
With the transfer to municipal management, the site is set for a new future through the creation of a marina intended to “restore and regenerate an area that was to be reclaimed for many years”, the municipality said.
Source: Jornal do Algarve
Photo credit: Mauro Rodrigues
