Parque da Catacumba, in Rio, is awarded to the private sector

This Wednesday (5th), with the presence of the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, and the secretary of Environment and Climate, Tainá de Paula, the concession contract for Parque da Catacumba, in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, was signed. south area of ​​the city. The company that won the bid was Lagoa Aventuras, which has been operating in the area as a permit holder for 15 years. According to the City Hall, the concession is a step forward for the maintenance of parks in the city. “This is the pilot project for a series of other parks that we want to innovate, not only in the concession process, but also in the co-participation of residents and users. We understand that the concession, maintaining free access, is fundamental”, said Tainá. With a total investment of R$ 2 million, the company will carry out improvements and manage the park for 25 years. Catacumba Municipal Natural Park – Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil News According to Gabriel Werneck, owner of Lagoa Aventuras, “the park will undergo a complete revitalization, with the implementation of new equipment and activities”. Among the novelties, a new 350-metre zip line is planned, renovation and maintenance of existing adventure tourism equipment, the installation of a restaurant and the return of the parking lot, which is currently closed. Access to the park remains free, only facilities for adventure activities will be paid for, such as abseiling, zip lining and climbing wall. According to Werneck, the first planned works are the opening of the parking lot and food services. “The new facilities and activities should be ready in the second half of the year, due to the need for more elaborate projects”. The concessionaire will also have obligations with all care for the park, janitorial, maintenance and landscaping, services that were done by the city hall. It is also planned to open a museum telling the story of the park site, which housed, until 1970, the Favela da Catacumba, which had 10,000 inhabitants and 5,000 houses. The place is so called because it is believed that it was used for rituals and an indigenous cemetery. Opening hours at Parque da Catacumba are from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8am to 5pm. Trails are open until 4pm. * Intern under the supervision of Akemi Nitahara

Agência Brasil