By choosing not to pay R$ 63 million to buy the building where its headquarters are currently located, in Barra da Tijuca, the COB (Brazilian Olympic Committee) will start the plan to move to the Maria Lenk Aquatic Park, in the Olympic Park, which will be transformed into a training center for the entity.
The matter was deliberated and approved by the Board of Directors of the Committee on Thursday afternoon (9).
Located on Avenida das Américas, west of Rio de Janeiro, the property where the COB is located today costs R$ 300 thousand monthly in rent. The family that owns the place reported having a sale proposal. The entity has preference to remain permanently, but will not exercise it because it would have to pay R$ 63 million.
Until October, when it will have to hand over the property, the COB will move to a building on Avenida Embaixador Abelardo Bueno, close to the Olympic Park, also in Barra da Tijuca. The rent will cost R$ 70 thousand per month. At the same time, work will begin on Maria Lenk.
The COB estimates that the savings in rent will be R$ 17 million over the five years that the renovations in the new Training Center last. On average, it is R$ 3.4 million per year.
The information that the Committee would have to change its headquarters was published by the blog Olhar Olímpico, from UOL.
The entity says that the money saved will be used to prepare the country’s athletes for this year’s South American Games in Asuncion, Pan American Games in Santiago-2023 and the Olympics in Paris-2024.
“We have already acquired equipment to serve all our employees at home office and not lose quality and excellence in delivery. Gradually, the team will be transferred to the current Training Center, which will also have a cultural center and a studio of the Olympic Channel of Brazil the end of the renovation”, says Rogério Sampaio, director general of the COB, in a note sent to Sheet.
The move to the new building will be gradual and should begin next month. In the same way, the trip to the new Training Center should happen, according to the progress of the works. The COB has about 300 employees.
The Maria Lenk Water Park belongs to the city of Rio de Janeiro. The COB has the site concession until 2028 and says it is in negotiations to renew it. The report contacted the city hall, but did not receive a response so far.
“There will be five phases of renovation that will make it possible to cover the pool, recover the stands, build administrative posts and create equipment to receive two new modalities in addition to those already covered: beach volleyball and archery”, added Sampaio in the note sent. .
The BRL 17 million represents 26% of what it cost, for example, the COB to prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (BRL 65 million).
In meetings held at the entity, the argument against buying the property was that it made no sense to invest R$ 63 million, given that there was a much more viable and lasting alternative, which would be the renovation of Maria Lenk. The building on Avenida das Américas has been the Committee’s headquarters since 2006, when the president was Carlos Arthur Nuzman, convicted of passive corruption, tax evasion, money laundering and criminal organization to 30 years and 11 months in prison.
He was taken into custody, but later served his sentence at home. Nuzman has always denied the allegations.
COB says that the plan to change headquarters has existed since 2018, but was postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposed sale of the current headquarters accelerated the plans.
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a vast amount of experience in covering health news. I am also an author at News Bulletin 247. I am highly experienced and knowledgeable in this field. I am a hard worker and always deliver quality work. I am a reliable source of information and always provide accurate information.
