Reviving Heritage Center PRO-APAC: City Hall announces the first 16 properties that may be expropriated for urban revitalization

Rio de Janeiro City Hall published a decree on Wednesday (July 16) declaring 7 properties located in the city center to be of public interest. These properties are the first to be included in the new phase of the Reviver Centro Patrimônio PRÓ-APAC program. The measure is the initial step toward the future expropriation of the properties, which are in a state of abandonment and may be auctioned with incentives for restoration and reuse.

Among the properties chosen for the initiative, nine are located on Rua do Teatro, four on Largo São Francisco de Paula, and three on Rua Sete de Setembro. The selection was based on a mapping task force led by the City Hall, which also held a public consultation in May to gather suggestions from citizens, experts, and private sector representatives about abandoned or dilapidated buildings within the new program's scope.

The properties will be expropriated and offered through a public auction. Successful bidders will be eligible for financial support of up to R$3.212,00 per square meter to cover restoration and redevelopment work, according to criteria established in the public notice. Funding will be disbursed gradually, with each stage of the project completed. If the interventions are not completed, the properties will revert to the municipality's ownership.

"This is the first step in this project, which aims to restore degraded properties in the city center. The City Hall will support the reconstruction of these abandoned properties. These are just the first. We will continue mapping and identifying others," emphasized Mayor Eduardo Paes.

The measure is part of the scope of the Reviver Centro program, in effect since 2021, and is aligned with the guidelines of the new Master Plan, which prioritizes the social function of the property, the diversity of uses and the preservation of cultural heritage.

"With this initiative, we take another step toward encouraging urban revitalization and the preservation of our heritage. PRÓ-APAC reinforces the City Hall's commitment to a more dynamic, diverse downtown area that's connected to its historical and cultural vocation," said Gustavo Guerrante, Municipal Secretary of Urban Development and Licensing.

The program is coordinated by the Urban Development and Licensing and Economic Development departments, with the aim of aligning public policies aimed at urban requalification and strengthening the city's economic activity.

"The city's recovery depends on the economic activation of its heritage. PRÓ-APAC combines preservation and development by transforming abandoned properties into investment opportunities, job creation, and stimulating the creative economy," stated Osmar Lima, Municipal Secretary of Economic Development.

History of Reviver Center

Enacted in 2021, the Reviver Centro program guarantees tax and building incentives and new-use permits to encourage housing construction and the retrofitting of vacant commercial buildings into residential or mixed-use buildings. In 2023, the program underwent an update and gained new rules to further encourage real estate activity in the region. Since its inception, 56 permits have been issued, totaling 4.515 new residential units in the Center. Of these 56, 10 are for new construction and 46 are for the conversion of existing properties (retrofitting).

Another city government initiative was the creation of Reviver Cultural, a program that aims to revitalize downtown Rio by attracting cultural initiatives and increasing traffic in the area. It also focuses on restoring vacant properties and creating cultural spaces—43 are part of the program, of which 37 are already open. On Rua da Cerveja, which will revitalize Rua da Carioca with a new urban design, five breweries have already opened and four more are on the way.

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16 July 2025

Appointments: expropriation City Hall of Rio urban revitalization Revive Center Revive Pro-APAC Heritage Center Cultural Revive beer street