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Revitalization Transforms Old Port Area of Santos into Award-Winning Leisure and Tourism Complex, with Public-Private Investment and Recognition from the Engineering Institute for Integration between City and Port.
The revitalization of the port area of the Historic Center of Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, has been nationally recognized.
The Valongo Park received the 2025 Best and Biggest Works Award, in the Port category, awarded by the Engineering Institute.
The ceremony took place on October 21, during National Engineering Week, in São Paulo.
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The award highlighted the integration between the port and the urban space and the return of the area to the population.
Urban Requalification Recognized
Valongo Park was installed in the area previously occupied by the old Warehouses 4, 5, and 6, which were in a state of abandonment.
The site was transformed into a covered and climate-controlled complex, with a beach tennis court, playground, gardens, viewing pier, and a floating platform with capacity for up to 14 vessels.
The complex covers 10,000 square meters and about 300 meters of waterfront, allowing direct access to the estuary.
Since its inauguration in 2024, the park has received more than 500,000 visitors and hosted about 30 cultural and sporting events.
According to the City Hall, the space was designed to diversify the use of the port coastline and promote leisure and tourism activities in the Historic Center.
Investments and Partnership Model
The project’s execution involved R$ 20 million in investments obtained through Terms of Responsibility for the Implementation of Mitigating and/or Compensatory Measures (Trimmcs).
There were R$ 15 million from COFCO International Brazil and R$ 5 million from Ecoporto.
The Santos Port Authority (APS) granted the area without cost to the municipality.
The management was under the responsibility of the Department of Works and Buildings (Seobe), with oversight from the Project Management Unit (UGP) Valongo Park.
Carnevali Engenharia is responsible for carrying out the works.
Authorities Highlight Integration between Port and City
During the ceremony, Mayor Rogério Santos stated that the project was made possible by the cooperation between the public sector, private initiative, and civil society organizations.
According to him, “the revitalization of this area of the port was an urban legend, but we managed to bring the project to life thanks to the unity between the sectors.”
Representing the mayor at the award ceremony, the Secretary of Works and Buildings, Larissa Oliveira Cordeiro, highlighted that the initiative brought the Historic Center closer to the sea, which was previously separated by walls and railway lines.
She stated that the award recognizes the collective effort to expand public and cultural spaces in Santos.
Footbridge and Second Phase of Requalification
The second phase of the project was inaugurated in June 2025 with the Port-City Engineer José Colla Footbridge, a helical structure connecting the Historic Center to the port area.
The facility features a accessible ramp and central staircase, and was built by Rumo Logística as a counterpart from APS and the Internal Railway of the Port of Santos (FIPS).
According to municipal administration, the footbridge improves pedestrian access and reinforces the connection between the historical heritage and the waterfront.
Third Phase Underway
The project is currently in its third phase, which includes the revitalization of Warehouse 3, landscaping and urbanization of the surroundings, and restoration of the Casa de Pedra, expanding the park by an additional 5,000 square meters.
The investment is R$ 17 million, with funds from the City Hall of Santos, APS, Federal Government, and Brazil Terminal Portuários (BTP).
The expected completion date is April 2026.
According to the Department of Works, the interventions aim to preserve the original structures and adapt the complex for public use, with an emphasis on sustainability and accessibility.
History of Transformation
The requalification process began with the cleaning and stabilization of the remaining structures of the warehouses, followed by the creation of climate-controlled multi-use areas, and then the implementation of outdoor leisure spaces.
According to City Hall technicians, the project aims to reconcile the preservation of port heritage with new cultural and tourism dynamics, promoting continuous occupancy of the Historic Center.
Consecutive Recognition
This is the second consecutive time that Santos has been awarded by the Engineering Institute.
In 2024, the municipality won in the Flood Control category with the Marcos Diniz Pumping Station with Gates, a project that is part of the municipal macrodrainage program aimed at preventing flooding in critical areas of the city.
Award Criteria and Urban Impact
The Engineering Institute evaluated criteria such as technical feasibility, social benefit, urban integration, and innovation in the use of port structures.
According to the entity, Valongo Park was recognized for transforming an underutilized area into a public facility for leisure, tourism, and community interaction.
Urban planning experts consulted by City Hall state that the project can serve as a reference for other Brazilian port cities seeking to requalify their waterfronts.
Among the highlighted aspects are universal accessibility, the utilization of existing industrial heritage, and the public-private partnership model used to make the venture viable.
Currently, Valongo Park receives visitors from different regions of the country and hosts cultural, sporting, and gastronomic events.
According to the Tourism Department, the influx of visitors has helped revitalize commerce and visitor movement in the vicinity of the Historic Center.
The national recognition consolidates the strategy of reoccupying the port area and reinforces the historical relationship between Santos and the sea.
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