The Macau government has announced that Sands China will be responsible for the revitalization the Iec Long Firecracker Factory and its surrounding areas, as well as the revitalization of Pátio da Eterna Felicidade, Rua Das Estalagens and its surrounding areas.
The entire project, part of the government’s efforts to revitalize old districts, is called “Iec Long Firecracker Factory and surrounding area optimal use plan, and the revitalization plan for Pátio da Eterna Felicidade, Rua Das Estalagens and surrounding areas”.
Unlike other concessionaires, Sands’ revitalization plan is not focused on a single area, but rather is divided between the Taipa and Macau regions.
Sands plans to develop a themed game at the Iec Long Firecracker Factory, which will introduce the site’s historical story with the goal of enriching the cultural and tourism content of the pedestrian route connecting Taipa Houses-Museum to the Iec Long Firecracker Factory.
Sands will also launch the “Love in the Taipa Houses-Museum” program at Taipa Houses-Museum, which will make it a Chinese-Portuguese wedding photography destination in Macau.
In June 2019, the Cultural Affairs Bureau took over 13 buildings of historical value in Pátio da Eterna Felicidade and restored them as temporary open spaces.
Sands plans to turn Pátio da Eterna Felicidade into a “New Pátio da Eterna Felicidade” – a venue for modern artists to create and exchange ideas, to enhance the artistic ambience, and to strengthen community links with nearby neighborhoods such as Rua Das Estalagens. Local arts organizations and artists will be invited to take part in the street beautification project.
As for Rua Das Estalagens, which used to be a commercial street with more than 70 shops but has suffered from a lack of pedestrian flow, Sands will revitalize the street by decorating a number of shops and businesses, street signs and pavement fences, as well as launching a business incubation program to encourage Macau-based enterprises to set up shops on the street.
In addition, Sands will host a variety of outdoor cultural and recreational activities at the Macao Cultural Centre, creating a new playground for outdoor activities.
“Sands expects the revitalization project to inject new energy into the community and to awaken the collective memory of public spaces,” Sands China President, Dr Wilfred Wong.
“We feel that any street and district has to be sustainable for long-term operation, but the art phase is only the first leg of the process, and we will be launching a program to bring in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to do business on the streets.
“We will have the resources to support SMEs, but the long-term operation will depend on their business practices.
“We will first contact people on the streets and vacant owners and will implement the program at a mature stage.
“We are now at the conceptual stage and will launch some activity-based program relatively soon, hopefully within this year.”
The Iec Long Firecracker Factory was founded in 1925 and operated for nearly 60 years. It closed down in 1984 but the site is still preserved today. In December 2020, the Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau reclaimed the area.
With news of Sands China’s upcoming projects, the revitalization plans of all six concessionaires have now been announced.
“The revitalization plans of the concessionaires are not limited to a single district as indicated during the negotiation between the two sides,” said Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms Ao Ieong U.
“The Government will discuss with the companies on the areas to be revitalized based on factors such as the development of the companies, the proportion of non-gaming activities, the size and capacity of the companies and more.”
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