The current mayor of Câmara de Lobos, Celso Bettencourt, has mentioned the intention to build an underground parking lot beneath a new square in the town's bay. This proposal aims to remove vehicles from the current surface parking.
However, the idea is not new. An assessment of urban rehabilitation projects for the seafront, initiated in 2018, already included a substantial intervention in the area. The RUCL project (Urban Rehabilitation of Câmara de Lobos City), approved for community funding in 2019, covered the maritime front and included the bay area.
The 2018 proposal envisioned replacing surface parking with a new urban use, utilizing the subsoil to create a parking facility for 130 vehicles, boat storage, and commercial areas. The surface would feature public seating areas, viewpoints, and a grand public staircase.
