Apolónia and its backers say that the cost of a proposed commercial centre, off the Couleur France roundabout near Karting Almancil at the western entrance to Almancil, is put at €49 million.
The two level 'Alma Plaza Lifestyle Center' includes a cinema, a clinic, play areas, shops and restaurants which it is suggested will create up to 505 direct jobs and 210 indirect jobs.
The Environmental Impact Assessment, paid for by a newly formed development company, Alma Life, is available for public comment until July 2nd 2014.
According to the environmental impact submission the proposed location is not covered by nature conservation area legislation, protected area status and is not in the Natura 2000 zone. It is said to be on not very useful agricultural land and within Loulé’s urbanisation development area. The current Apolónia supermarket will be relocated to the new commercial centre, making access easier to the up-market store.
The plan does involve the destruction or removal of 93 cork oak trees, the remaining 83 will be worked into the new landscaping. The contra deal for the problem oaks is the planting and management of 13 hectares of cork and holm oak on ‘private land’ in Alcoutim.
Interestingly, there is no alternative site mentioned for the project, normally a high stakes ‘zero alternative’ play, but in this case the proposer is sure of his case as the project has the thumbs up from the Ministério da Economia e da Inovação, through the Direção Regional de Economia do Algarve, the Direção-Geral das Atividades Económicas and of course Loulé council which is still embroiled in the IKEA planning mess and will be hoping for an easier ride with the Apolónia project.
The investment is majority funded from overseas investors.
There is an article with pictures in today’s Sul Informaçao
See http://www.sulinformacao.pt/2014/06/apolonia-quer-investir-49-milhoes-de-euros-em-espaco-comercial-em-almancil/
CLICK HERE to read Letter 1 from ACRAL - in Portuguese
CLICK HERE to read Letter 2 from Quercus and ACRAL - in Portuguese
CLICK HERE to read Opinion on Environmental Impact Study document from Quercus - in Portuguese
