“The idea was to make a radical transformation in Madeira, in Funchal, to turn the Funchal marina into an iconic, service-providing space of excellence – in essence, a showcase of the city”, said Miguel Albuquerque.

The leader of the PSD/CDS-PP coalition assured that the marina, after being restored, "will be rigorously inspected so as not to be aesthetically debased".

“The idea is, once the project is completed, to have the functional projects ready by the end of the year and open the tender at the beginning of 2022”, he added.

Mentioning that the investment “will be around 4.9 million euros”, the Madeiran chief executive indicated that, after the award, “the works will last for 18 months”.

Miguel Albuquerque assured that the rights of the current concessionaires "will be safeguarded by the Regional Government" during construction, with the intention of the executive to "give them the right of preference as long as they comply with the rules imposed in the specifications".

Among other aspects, Albuquerque said that the use of “second-rate plastic chairs, or umbrellas with advertising or the like” will not be allowed.

“We have to have a modern city. I hope and am sure that all of Funchal will benefit from this new marina, it will be a marina of excellence, with an offer of excellence and great quality”, concluded the Madeiran official.

The new project foresees the construction of 13 commercial spaces – including four restaurants, two cafes/bars and seven stores –, in addition to a space dedicated to official authorities (Republica Nacional Guard) and 10 kiosks.

The total area to be built will cover about 3,000 square metres and the area of ​​landscaping is approximately 6,000 square metres.