Canteen has stood unused for several years
Covilhã’s University of Beira Interior (UBI) is going to convert an old canteen in the middle of the city – inactive for several years – into a new student residence with space for extracurricular activities.
The call for tenders was published today in the Diário da República, for a base value of €1.2 million and an execution period of 210 days, with tenders due by August 23.
University dean, Mário Raposo, speaking to Lusa news agency, said that the contract would be subsidised by around €700,000 under the National Plan for Accommodation in Higher Education (PNAES), with funding from the PRR, Plan for Recovery and Resilience.
Mário Raposo pointed out that this is an effort that UBI has made to upgrade its accommodation. The first student residence project was inaugurated in January 2023 under PNAES, and remodelling work on ‘Residence I’ with 125 beds, is due to begin very soon.
According to the rector, this canteen plan is another step on the road to “having more quality provision at social prices, at a controlled price.”
Priority will be given to more ‘economically needy students’ who will pay “around €90 per bed.”
“It is a building that’s been inactive for a few years, located in the urban centre of the city and close to some faculties,” stressed Mário Raposo.
According to the dean, the old Boavista Canteen, will be converted into a student residence with 25 beds. The building also has “a large external space and a nave that will be revamped for extracurricular student activities,” like bands/ university groups.
If everything goes according to plan, the dean hopes work can begin by December.
UBI, which is attended by around 10,000 students, has around 80% of its intake from outside the city. In addition, Mário Raposo emphasised the importance of having beds at social prices, representing a “considerable support” for families.
The university currently has 650 beds available for students. After the latest accommodation interventions, it will have the capacity for a total of 800.
Source: LUSA
