Work to restore the sentry box on Rua Fernão Mendes Pinto in Taipa and the gatehouse of Pátio da Capoeira is to go ahead after the Cultural Heritage Committee gave the projects the thumbs-up.
During a council meeting, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) officials also consulted the members on the exercise of preemptive rights in relation to an assessed immovable property.
IC President Leong Wai Man pointed out that as the assessed immovable property is an ordinary private immovable property that involves privacy, no specific case information will be released.
Wu Chou Kit, a member of the Cultural Heritage Council, said that the maintenance costs for the sentry box on Rua Fernão Mendes Pinto and the gatehouse of Pátio da Capoeira would cost about MOP 70,000 and MOP 170,000 respectively.
In related news, regarding the Zone A land reclamation area covering Eastern District 2, Leong pointed out that the area needs a community library similar to the one in Coloane’s Seac Pai Van public housing estate, adding that in the first stage, a 2,000 square metre plot has been reserved for the construction of a library, while another 5,000 square metres will be earmarked for cultural facilities.
Lots D11 and D12 of Zone A have been earmarked for city-level cultural facilities, such as a museum or performance facilities, Leong said, adding that the bureau hopes that the space for a museum in Zone A will be a similar size to the Macao Museum of Art in NAPE which may provide better arts and cultural experiences for the public.
Leong pointed out that there will also be different cultural facilities in the future buildings’ podiums for use by the general public and associations.
However, so far there is no timetable for the specific planning of cultural facilities in Zone A, Leong noted.
Moreover, when asked about the conflict between the members of the management group of A-Ma Temple, Leong said that her bureau was aware of the situation and communicating with the group, underlining that the bureau was most concerned about public access to heritage buildings and temples, which had so far not been affected.
Leong also said that the heritage site of the former Iec Long Firework Factory in Taipa is scheduled to open at the end of this year, where a wooden walkway and an exhibition hall have been set up to enable members of the public to learn about its original appearance.
She added that the exhibition will display exhibits related to the factory and local firecracker manufacturers, starting in late December to deepen public understanding of the industry. A coffee shop and other supporting facilities are expected to be gradually put into operation in the first quarter of next year, The Macau Post Daily reported.
