Vasco da Gama stadium revamp sanctioned

Image: Estádio Vasco da Gama, Alex Carvalho, CC BY-SA 2.0

A Law allowing the reconstruction of CR Vasco da Gama’s Complexo de São Januário stadium has been passed by the City Hall of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Vasco da Gama can now transfer the building rights for work on the Complexo de São Januário to interested companies.

Azscore said the symbolic act took place at the traditional Tribuna de Honra of the stadium, where former president Getúlio Vargas, in 1940, announced the creation of the minimum wage.

Estádio Vasco da Gama, commonly known as São Januário owing to its location on a street of the same name, is the home ground of CR Vasco da Gama. It is located in the Vasco da Gama neighborhood, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on a hill near the National Observatory of Brazil.

The Law enables the club to transfer the ‘right to build’ from the stadium area to interested parties and be financially compensated for the transfer.

The funds are to be used for the stadium’s renovation and other improvements in the city.

The Law also establishes the Urban Consortium Operation (UCO) of Estádio São Januário in the Vasco da Gama neighborhood, to be coordinated by the city hall, with obligations including infrastructure works in the vicinity of the stadium and a mobility fund to be created for traffic improvements in certain city neighborhoods.

Complete with an Army band and fireworks, Mayor Eduardo Paes signed the document alongside the president of Vasco da Gama, Pedro Paulo de Oliveira, and former player Pedrinho, from whom he received a commemorative plaque.

Paes said, “Vasco da Gama affects all of us, even those who are not Vasco fans. We all have a deep emotional connection with this place that is São Januário. It was not only the stage for many of Vasco’s victories, but it is part of Brazil’s political history.

“It was the club that faced racism in football for the first time, it never hurts to remember that. It was the club that showed the population, the Brazilian people, that it was possible to mix different races and social classes.”

Paes also said that it was a huge challenge to approve the law that now allows the stadium to be reconstructed.

“For three years we discussed and debated this project with the Chamber, this challenge of approving a law that would allow financing of the new São Januário. And today, here, we consolidate this space. It is an honor, a joy, as mayor to be able to sign today the first step in the reconstruction of this club, this institution called Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama.”

The president of the Chamber of Councilors, Carlo Caiado, stressed that the project includes not only the reconstruction of the stadium, but the improvement of the surrounding neighbourhood.

He said, “This law unanimously sanctioned by the Chamber of Councilors goes far beyond Vasco da Gama. It helps those around the stadium: São Cristóvão, Benfica, Caju. An amendment guaranteed that 6% of the amount will be invested in infrastructure in the region.

“We know the importance of São Januário for the region. When the stadium was closed, a city hall study showed that there were almost 20,000 workers involved directly or indirectly on game day. The city wins, the North Zone wins and the Rio economy wins.”

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