Valongo Park in Santos will be inaugurated in July with leisure and sports area

The first phase of Valongo Park in the Historic Center of Santos will be inaugurated by the City Hall on July 5th at 11 am, with the presence of the minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho. There was a possibility of advancing the date to the 28th of this month, but it won't be possible.

APS president Anderson Pomini emphasizes the importance of this joint initiative. "Valongo Park represents a great achievement for Santos and will certainly revive the rich history of the Port and the city", he says.

According to Pomini, Valongo Park will not only be a leisure space, but also a meeting place for citizens, attracting visitors, generating business opportunities and stimulating local economic development.

Pomini recalls that to further stimulate tourism in the area APS intends to relocate the passenger terminal to Valongo, allowing cruise passengers to visit that historic region.

"Valongo Park is a democratic space. It combines sports, leisure, gastronomy, events and is the result of a good partnership between the Port and the city, integrating public and private spheres to fulfill a dream of the people of Santos", says mayor Rogério Santos (Republicanos).

What's included in the delivery of the first phase of the project

Residents and tourists will have access to the revitalized area of the former Warehouse 4, with a covered and air-conditioned structure that will host events. The first event will be the Winter Festival 2024, from July 12th to August 4th, with it the 2,400 square meter area will house food courts, restaurants and a stage for shows and presentations.

In the outdoor space, formerly occupied by warehouses 5 and 6, the public will have an area with a beach tennis court, playground, garden and a ferris wheel.

Valongo Park will also feature a floating platform in which small boats will promote nautical tourism and an observation pier where visitors can observe, for example, ship traffic through the Santos Port canal.

Historical background

In May 2023, the first step towards revitalizing the area was taken when APS granted the area between warehouses 4 and 6 to the Santos City Hall. From there, the Municipal Administration partnered with the private sector to begin construction, which incurred no costs to the public coffers.

The implementation of the cultural and leisure area comprising the first phase of Valongo Park received an investment of R\$ 20 million from Mitigation and/or Compensatory Measures Implementation Responsibility Terms (Trimmcs), signed between the City Hall and port companies Cofco International Brasil and Ecoporto.

The new space foresees interventions until 2026, including, for example, a pedestrian walkway.