Mayor Eduardo Paes and the Minister of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI), Esther DweckPedro Ivo / Agência O Dia
Published 10/05/2024 16:21
Rio – Now it’s official: after 22 years of abandonment, the Leopoldina Railway Station, on Avenida Francisco Bicalho, in the Central Region of Rio, will be revitalized. City Hall and the Federal Government signed the transfer of the space, which will now be managed by the Municipality. The agreement was celebrated between Mayor Eduardo Paes and the Minister of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI), Esther Dweck, during a ceremony in a large lobby that is part of the old station, this Friday (10). The next step is to move forward with the bidding process for the restoration of the 98-year-old building.
On the station’s land, measuring around 125 thousand square meters, which was also transferred to the Municipality of Rio, the Fábrica do Samba da Série Ouro, Minha Casa Minha Vida housing developments, a Convention Center and social facilities will be built. Paes commented on the importance of the building for the locals.
“Here we are taking a building that is an icon of this city and of Brazil. It was from here that people commuted to work. Minas Gerais and São Paulo. But the world changed, and this place was abandoned. The owner of this place cannot be the federal government, the people of the state of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. We are returning it to public use,” he said.
The mayor reinforced that, “to put the minister at ease”, the bidding notice for the works was published in the Official Gazette of the Municipality this Friday: “Just to put the minister at ease, we have already published the tender for the works today, with projects signed by Iphan and the public authorities”.
Also according to Paes, the published tenders refer to the works to revitalize the station and the construction of Cidade do Samba 2. The works are expected to be completed by Carnival 2026. The other planned projects must still go through the process bidding.
“We are advancing in studies, to have many housing units. The VLT itself will come here. The idea is to build almost a new neighborhood here, making this process of revitalizing the port region of Rio, also reaching São Cristóvão”, added the mayor .
Esther Dweck highlighted that the revitalization of the space will bring benefits to the population of Rio and also Brazil, as another tourist and cultural alternative.
“As a carioca, the last time I came here was at a Film Festival, it must have been more than 20 years old and the station had recently been deactivated. I had already been impressed by how monumental this building is, how beautiful it is. this architecture. And it’s sad to pass by and see this heritage being completely destroyed”, said Esther, concluding that the Federal Government’s plan is to “revive” any abandoned building in the centers of Brazilian cities.
Some Access Group associations took members to see the new house. Among them were São Clemente, Porto da Pedra, União de Maricá, Samba Clube Botafogo, Inocentes de Belford Roxo, Academicos de Vigário Geral, Tradição and Unidos de Bangu. At the end of the ceremony, the drums from the samba schools performed for those present.
Federal deputies Jandira Feghali (PCdoB) and Pedro Paulo (PSD), the Secretary of Institutional Relations of the Lula government, André Ceciliano, among other political leaders, also participated in the ceremony.
Abandonment
Later, when its right of use was transferred to SuperVia, the installation was closed. The lines were relocated to the Central Station of Brazil. Shortly afterwards, it even hosted some cultural events. In recent years, the space has served as a storage space for old trains and other materials.
Tags: Rio City Hall signs agreement Union Leopoldina Station building land Rio Janeiro
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