Society

Porto is evolving to meet student housing

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Miguel Nogueira

Former military Barrack of Monte Pedral, located at Serpa Pinto, Egas Moniz and Constituição Streets, in Porto is, once again, the property of Porto City hall.

The Monte Pedral Barrack, with 25 thousand square meters, twice the size of Aliados Avenue, will be tailored to build affordable apartments, a campus housing and a commercial services area.

Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira revealed that "this is the largest housing project for affordable lease ever to be launched in Portugal". We are looking at about 370 and 400 apartments of various types, student residence of over a hundred houses, trade and parking areas.

The renovated Monte Pedral Barrack will be able to accommodate about one thousand residents. Since 1997 that the City Hall was trying to reclaim this property from the State, which had been transferred to the State in 1904. The agreement was closed on 10 January.

"Our aim is that the front building [facing Serpa Pinto street], the most agreeable side of the barrack and the one included in the Chart of the City Heritage, is to be maintained so that it can be turned into a campus housing", explained Rui Moreira.

"This was the most important property we could reclaim. There are happy days", Mayor Rui Moreira enthused.

This project should be concluded within the next three years.