24 years later, the company created to demolish the Coutinho Building was dissolved

The mayor of Viana do Castelo today announced the dissolution of VianaPolis, 24 years after its constitution, with the State committing to transfer all of the company’s assets into the municipality’s possession.

Questioned by the Lusa agency at the end of the municipal executive’s ordinary meeting, socialist Luís Nobre stated that the decision to close the activity of VianaPolis, established in 2000 to manage the Viana do Castelo Polis program, was taken two weeks ago, unanimously, at the company’s general meeting.

The VianaPolis company is 60% owned by the Ministries of Environment and Finance, with the remaining 40% held by the Chamber of Viana do Castelo.

Among other operations, the Polis de Viana do Castelo program, initiated when António Guterres was Prime Minister and José Sócrates Minister of the Environment, foresees the construction of the new municipal market for the location where the Coutinho building existed until May 2022, in an investment of nine million euros.

The existence of the company was consecutively prolonged due to the legal battle brought by the residents of the building built in the early 70s of the last century, keeping the corporate objective unchanged: the deconstruction of the Coutinho building.

Luís Nobre guaranteed that, despite the dissolution of the company, the shareholders “maintain their commitment” to building the new municipal market, and “part of the main shareholder’s financing will be in kind”.

“The State’s 60% share will be guaranteed by the equity value of the assets that were in the company. They might not stay with the municipality, but it makes sense for them to stay with the municipality. They have to be quantified and valued,” he stated.

Luís Nobre said that the “principle is clear in the minutes of dissolution of the company”.

“The State supports 60% of the financing [de construção do novo mercado]. It will pay in kind, in assets. It’s fair,” she stressed.

Luís Nobre stated that the society’s assets are still being evaluated, but assured that, despite this procedure not being completed, the municipality can move forward with the construction process of the new municipal market.

“It was this condition, at the general dissolution meeting, to quantify [o valor do património], but do not make the process and responsibility for building the new market depend on this procedure. We will have the year 2024 to finish this process,” he said.

Luís Nobre pointed out as examples of the VianaPolis heritage that will come into the municipality’s possession parking spaces in two city parks, the Campo d’Agonia parking lot, three apartments, the areas redeveloped by the Polis program, such as the ecological park of the city.

When asked about the expected start of construction of the new market, he replied: “We are [Câmara Municipal] in a complex moment of projects. It is not easy for the human resources that the municipality has, but we are all making an effort to quickly resume this operation that was waiting for the dissolution of the company”.