Rio de Janeiro City Hall approves law for Praça Onze Maravilha (Marvelous Eleven Square).

The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Cavaliere, sanctioned this Thursday (July 9th) Complementary Law No. 301 of July 9, 2026, which creates the Area of ​​Special Urban Interest (AEIU) Praça Onze Maravilha. The project foresees the transformation and modernization of 458,000 m² of one of the most important historical regions of Rio de Janeiro, with investments of R$ 1,7 billion planned for the next 20 years. The expectation is to stimulate the construction of 37,000 residential units, consolidating the urban requalification initiated with Porto Maravilha and Reviver Centro.

One of the main objectives of the plan is retrofitting, which consists of renovating and changing the use of vacant properties, and redesigning the local road system, including replacing the 31 de Março Elevated Highway. The main architectural reference for the intervention will be the Library of Knowledge, a work designed by the renowned international architect Francis Kéré. To boost the development of the region, the Municipality instituted special incentives and tax benefits for Praça Onze and extended these advantages to other areas of the city, including the North Zone.

— The sanctioning act consolidates the creation of a real estate fund so that we can structure this operation. It foresees the construction of the Library of Knowledge, by architect Francis Keré, on the land where the Terreirão do Samba is currently located, and the revitalization of the entire area surrounding the Sambadrome, starting with the demolition of the 31 de Março Elevated Highway, which will give way to Avenida da Democracia. This region will also become an integrated neighborhood, composed of Santa Teresa, Catumbi, Rio Comprido, Praça Onze, and Cidade Nova, which will join the Historic Center of Rio and the Port Region of Rio, with this effort to consolidate the city's return to its origin, which is the Center of Rio — explained the mayor of Rio.

Unlike Porto Maravilha, which was financed by Certificates of Additional Construction Potential (Cepacs), Praça Onze Maravilha will be funded by the sale of municipal properties. The goal is to announce, within three months, the auction of 62 local plots of land.

The demolition of the elevated highway will also open new avenues for the construction of private developments. One of the economic drivers of the project is the Interconnected Operation, a mechanism for transferring development rights that has already enabled more than 9 homes in the Reviver Centro project since 2021. Now, the municipality is creating exclusive incentives for investors who apply their construction potential in the North Zone, Rio Comprido, Tijuca, Ipanema, Copacabana, Botafogo, Flamengo, Glória, and Catete. The configuration of the benefits system should prioritize family units.

Based on Complementary Law No. 274/2024, the new regulation was designed to guarantee legal security for the market. Construction, retrofit, or reconversion projects, with processes opened until June 30, 2026, within the Reviver Centro program, will have their rights preserved. Projects already licensed and with ongoing installment payments of the municipal counterpart will maintain their original conditions, provided they are up to date. New projects or requests for legalization by addition submitted until December 1, 2026, will have a 30% discount for cash payment.

The package also looks to the future of urban mobility, with an agreement to enable the extension of Metro Line 2, in the Estácio–Carioca section, including the new Catumbi and Praça Cruz Vermelha stations.

Approved on May 27th by the City Council and sanctioned today, the law connects the attraction of private capital to the preservation of Rio de Janeiro's memory. The Library of Knowledge will operate in an integrated manner with the collections and activities of the City Archive, the Calouste Gulbenkian Municipal Arts Center, whose activity in the area was ensured by a parliamentary amendment, and the Sambadrome itself, which will not have its programming interrupted during the interventions.

The Samba Parade was one of the most debated topics in the public hearings. The goal now is to break the seasonality of Carnival, making the space pulsate 365 days a year as a hub for tourism, creative economy, and heritage education. Approved amendments also guarantee that any modernization plan will safeguard the productive and cultural chain of the Joãozinho Trinta Samba City. Following the example of Porto Maravilha, 3% of all municipal revenue from the operation will be applied to Historical and Cultural Heritage. Complementary Law No. 301 of July 9, 2026 also included the restoration of the Salvador de Sá Workers' Village, a historical complex of houses in the region, among the projects contemplated.

A portal with information on all licensing and construction progress will keep the population informed, ensuring transparency and public participation. The creation of a committee to monitor the interventions is also planned. Complementary Law No. 301 of July 9, 2026, also establishes important social commitments: there is no provision for expropriations for the works; there will be absolute priority for hiring workers, professionals, and cultural agents from within the territory itself, both during the construction phase and in the future management of the spaces. To support the local workforce, the municipality will promote specific professional qualification programs.

The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Cavaliere, vetoed four amendments to sections of articles 11, 17, and 33. Article 17 had already been announced, as it eliminated the construction of taller buildings on streets in Copacabana. The municipality justified this by stating that the neighborhood already has a specific law (Law No. 1.390/89) that limits constructions to a maximum height of 10 meters. With this decision, the current rules remain unchanged.

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9 July 2026

Appointments: Area of ​​Special Urbanistic Interest (AEIU) Porto Maravilha Eleven Wonders Square Revive Center