Febres Cordero Restoration Will Take 14 Months and $9 Million
Cuenca Expat Staff
One of Cuenca's old heritage buildings is finally moving into a restoration phase.
El Mercurio reports that Mayor Cristian Zamora signed the contract to restore the former Colegio Febres Cordero.
The building dates to 1885 and sits in Cuenca's Centro Historico.
The Project
The restoration is expected to take 14 months and cost $9 million.
El Mercurio reports the money comes from an international credit granted by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, known as CAF.
The project will be carried out by Consorcio Renacer.
What Will Be Added
The restored building is planned to include:
- Renovated commercial spaces
- Training workshops
- A coworking space
- An auditorium
- A library
- An audiovisual room
- Exhibition spaces for the Bienal
- A complementary rooftop block with a cafe and restaurant
El Mercurio also reports the central plaza will be recovered for cultural activities, including theater and cinema, with green areas for public use.
Why Locals Care
The former Febres Cordero site has deep local memory attached to it.
El Mercurio reports the property was used by Colegio Febres Cordero and Escuela Miguel Angel Estrella, and that the traditional Mundialito de los Pobres once took place there before moving fully to the Jefferson Perez coliseum in 2011.
Since 2018, the property had stopped functioning as an educational unit and was being used as a municipal warehouse and parking area.
What This Means For Expats
This is a Centro Historico revitalization story, not just a construction notice.
If the project lands as described, it adds another restored public-facing space to the center, with culture, food, coworking and events in a building that has been sitting underused for years.
Source: El Mercurio
