PS challenges Coimbra Chamber to discuss with the population the fate of the former Pediatric

PS councilor José Dias challenged the Coimbra City Council to open the fate of the former Pediatric Hospital, in which the Executive wants to install the Transdisciplinary Center for Support to Artistic Creation (CTAC), to discussion with the population.

The municipal Executive, meeting this Monday, analyzed the proposal for prior communication for the transfer of management from the State to the Chamber of Coimbra of the properties that make up the former Pediátrico, in a project in which the Chamber intends to install the CTAC – Casa das Comunidades .

The municipality intends for CTAC to be able to develop various projects in areas such as plastic arts, graphic arts, technology, music, theater or dance, ensuring rehearsal rooms, exhibition rooms, space for artistic residencies and studios.

The proposal, which saw the abstention of the four PS councilors, is “poorly structured”, despite having already foreseen an “enormous” investment, criticized socialist councilor José Dias, pointing to the document that supports the project to enhance the old Pediatric, in which the Chamber foresees a global investment of around 23 million euros.

“There is a serious risk of turning this into a problem for the future”, he pointed out, considering that the project has little associated data and the investment “is not detailed”.

For José Dias, the Executive cannot “continue to start with projects and then, only at a later stage, implement them”.

“If there is no project, I wonder if other possibilities were considered for that space?” asked the socialist councilor, challenging the Coimbra City Council to open up the fate of the former Pediatric Hospital to public participation.

According to José Dias, the project for that property, with an area of ​​18 thousand square meters, should be “thought of from a participatory policy perspective”.

In response, the president of the Chamber, José Manuel Silva, elected by the Juntos Somos Coimbra coalition, stated that the Executive has had “persistent pressure from multiple associations that need their spaces and to which the Chamber is unable to respond”, highlighting also the importance of spaces to host artistic residencies in the municipality.

José Manuel Silva clarified that the calculations for the planned investment were made “in bulk”, referring that what was discussed was a “project skeleton” to enhance that space.

During his intervention, the mayor rejected the idea of ​​using that space for a structure intended for active aging, considering that the ideal location for this would be next to Hospital dos Covões.