The former Centro de Ciência Viva do Porto Moniz building, now Espaço Multiusos, will be rehabilitated, and the Sociedade de Desenvolvimento do Norte has launched a competition to restore the property. The competition was published yesterday in Diário da República.

The work was initially announced for 2023. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Madeira Development Associations (which manages the SDN) assumed the possibility of reassigning the areas to Antena 1 in 2022. Diario tried to find out from Nivalda Gonçalves what would happen. The person in charge said the change goes beyond property recovery, but at this point nothing has been decided yet. There is a protocol currently in effect with the Porto Moniz City Council, which manages the use of the space and changes will only be introduced at the end of this protocol. He explained that this does not negate the fact that it is still cooperating with the local authority and the regional government.

The base price for the procedure launched is now €286,000, plus the applicable VAT value. The implementation period is 120 days, which is approximately 4 months from the date of awarding the work.

Regarding the work, the main objective was to provide the necessary conditions for the best structural use of the building, in particular with the aim of eliminating infiltration. According to the head of the development associations, a cover will be created around the building that will allow it to insulate and remove moisture.

The contract includes rehabilitation of structures and facades, treatment and repair of cracks, painting, material replacement, cleaning and waterproofing. The intervention will include metal structures, roofs, wooden ceilings, etc. It will be carried out inside the building and on the walls, ceiling and sidewalk. The building has a hall that can accommodate 120 people.

Nivalda Gonsalves admits that the building is underutilized. Supporting tourism was an acceptable goal two years ago. But only on the date of renewal of the protocol with the room can the purpose of the space be changed.

The now multi-purpose space was initially a live science center that interactively combined entertainment and knowledge, and was part of the network of live science centers created by the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture. Created in 2004, this exhibition is based on the theme of Laurisilva, with an exhibition and activities for audiences of different ages originating from this forest.

In 2017, Diario announced the end of this project, with the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture withdrawing its accreditation, after evaluating the work developed over the past ten years.

Today, without this connection which is not expected to resume, the space functions as a conference and meeting space, with an area dedicated to exhibitions.