The government of São Paulo signed on Thursday (22) the R$6 billion public-private partnership (PPP) contract with the MEZ-RZK Novo Centro Consortium for the construction of the state's new administrative headquarters, in the central region of the capital. The contract was published in the Official Gazette this Friday (23).
One of the main campaign flags of governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), the project foresees the transfer of the administrative headquarters from Palácio dos Bandeirantes, in Morumbi, to a complex of buildings around Praça Princesa Isabel.
Construction will be carried out through a 30-year concession. The state government will provide approximately R$3.4 billion in resources from the Treasury, while the private company will be responsible for the works and, during the concession period, for the operation and maintenance of the complex. Remuneration will be linked to performance and compliance with the parameters established in the contract.
According to the schedule released by the government, the first stage after signing the contract will be dedicated to preparing the concession plans, developing the basic and executive projects and obtaining the necessary licenses to implement the project.
Still in the first year, interventions at Terminal Luz and expropriations are scheduled to begin. In the second year, the schedule includes the completion of studies and executive projects, the delivery of the terminal and the completion of expropriations and family resettlement.
From the third year onwards, work on blocks 24 and 25, the urbanization area and square and blocks 34, 46, 48 and 52 should begin. The first deliveries are scheduled for the fourth year, when the restoration of listed properties is also scheduled. The completion of the remaining blocks is scheduled for the fifth year.
The MEZ-RZK Novo Centro Consortium won the auction by offering a discount of 9.62% on the public consideration, an amount paid monthly by the state during the 30 years of the concession. The expected ceiling was R$76.6 million per month. With the discount, the payment will be R$69.2 million per month.
The consortium is made up of the companies Zetta Infraestrutura, M4 Investimentos, Engemat, RZK Empreendimentos Imobiliários and Iron Property.
The company will also have the right to commercially explore the space for 30 years, including parking lots, stores, restaurants and kiosks that will be built on the site.
The winning company is responsible for the following works in the area: constructing seven buildings and ten towers to house the governor's office and 28 state departments and agencies; restore 17 listed mansions in the region, which will be incorporated into the complex; carry out expropriations and pay compensation to residents; operate, maintain and manage the complex throughout the contract, including cleaning, security and maintenance services.
Currently, around 22 thousand state employees are distributed across more than 40 addresses in the capital. The proposal is to centralize the structures in a single location, reducing administrative costs and modernizing public management.
Even with the change, the governor will maintain his official residence at Palácio dos Bandeirantes.
The architectural project was chosen through a national public competition organized by the Institute of Architects of Brazil (IAB-SP), which registered a record number of entries. The winning proposal comes from the Ópera Quatro Arquitetura office, led by Pablo Chakur, who will be responsible for preparing the basic and executive projects.
The new structure will occupy four blocks between Rua Conselheiro Nébias and Alameda Barão de Piracicaba. The complex will have capacity for around 22 thousand servers and will have a theater, auditoriums, multipurpose rooms and other institutional spaces.
The buildings will have active facades — with commerce and services on the ground floor — and underground parking. In total, there will be 25 thousand square meters dedicated to commerce and services.
The Campos Elíseos Palace, a century-old building that was once the seat of government in the last century, will be restored with original furniture from the 1930s and will serve as the government's visiting room. An underground tunnel must directly connect the building to the new administrative headquarters.
In addition to the administrative buildings, the plan includes: construction of more than 6 thousand homes in the central region, 55% of which are intended for the low-income population; expansion and requalification of Praça Princesa Isabel, which should be transformed into a boulevard; widening sidewalks and creating exclusive sections for pedestrians; expansion of the park's green area by more than 40%; installation of theater, auditoriums and multipurpose spaces.
Streets such as Helvetia, Guaianases and Alameda Glete will have sections dedicated exclusively to pedestrians. The Princesa Isabel Terminal will be deactivated and replaced by the Luz Terminal, with connection to Estação da Luz through a tunnel under construction by CPTM.
The government's estimate is that the works will generate around 38,000 jobs during the construction phase, scheduled to end by 2030.
To make the project viable, around 230 residential properties will have to be expropriated. Approximately 600 families were mapped in the intervention area, and some of them are already registered for compensation or inclusion in housing projects.
The estimated expenditure on expropriations is around R$500 million. Part of the area is classified as a Special Zone of Social Interest (ZEIS), which requires the provision of popular housing.
