Revamp of Green Villas at Coronel Mesquita approved with fewer restrictions than expected

The Urban Planning Committee (CPU) has greenlighted the project to transform the green villas at the Avenida do Coronel Mesquita in Macau into a commercial complex dedicated to the cultural and creative industries.

The CPU made the decision in a meeting yesterday afternoon.

The project, led by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), surprised some committee members by being “less restrictive than expected” in the preservation of the houses, some members, including Christine Choi, said.

Choi recalled that back in 2010, there was already an urban conditions plan (PCU) issued for the same space which noted the necessity of preserving the trees as well as the housing façades and other characteristics.

The architect noted that, in yesterday’s PCU, the IC had imposed fewer restrictions as they were issuing the opinion of the owner of the project in addition to the preservation.

An IC representative said that in 2010, when the first PCU was issued, the Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Law establishing standards did not exist. He noted that in this case some changes need to be made to the houses, namely at the roof level to comply with fire safety regulations.

“It is worth preserving the façade [of the building] as well as some other characteristics, but there must be a balance between heritage preservation and utility,” the IC representative said.

The same conditions were also in the public consultation that took place over 15 days between April 4 and April 18, a period during which the Land and Urban Construction Bureau only received one submission that was about the diversion of the sewage piping system.