“Thank you very much for believing in this project and giving us the opportunity to offer this, which will be a leap in quality,” remarked representatives from the Concordia Center of Commerce, Industry and Services, who had been waiting 14 years for its realization.
Mayor Francisco Azcué led the presentation this morning of the draft ordinance that establishes the creation of the “Concordia Open-Air Shopping Center,” which will be carried out through a framework agreement for cooperation and joint management between the Municipality of Concordia, the Concordia Center of Commerce, Industry and Services, the Association of Friends of the Pedestrian Zone, and the Argentine Confederation of Medium-Sized Enterprises (CAME).
In the project, which will be discussed in the extraordinary session of the Deliberative Council next Friday, it is stipulated that the Shopping Center will comprise the area delimited by the radius of the Metered Parking and the section of Las Heras street, between San Luis and Humberto Primo, becoming a strategic corridor, with high pedestrian traffic, modern, sustainable, and friendly to the urban environment.
COMMITMENT FULFILLED
Mayor Azcué recalled that its realization began from the dialogue held with the promoters of the idea. There, the commitment to work together emerged: “I can attest that there is study and planning behind this; it is not something that arose overnight, but quite the opposite. When we say we are going to do something, we do it; when we make a commitment, it is not an empty speech.”
In that line, he recognized the importance of the private sector for the development of Concordia and the role that falls to the State. “We work so that there are new opportunities, so that those who invest and take risks can grow. We believe in dialogue with institutions because even when there are differences, we work on them with a single objective: that our city changes.”
Regarding the project itself, Azcué stressed that “it is not just about delimiting an area of the city and having commercial activities, but that this is a public-private governance,” for which a joint commission will be created, with representatives from the Concordia Center of Commerce, Industry and Services, the Association of Friends of the Pedestrian Zone, and the Municipal Executive Department. The commission will approve investment projects, control the use of the fund, and publish biannual management reports.
“I ask everyone, from the place they occupy, to give their best, because this is not only a benefit for commerce, it is a benefit for everyone. We can build a thriving, productive, and orderly city; let's move forward with this project that will be a success, I can assure you, and 2026 will be a great year for the city,” concluded the Mayor.
14 YEARS OF STRUGGLE
The president of the Center of Commerce, Industry and Services, Adrián Lampazzi, recalled that the initiative “had been going on for more than a decade, which started at the time but then went backward,” noting that from the original idea to what was presented today, “there have been modifications, but it is a project that is alive, so we are really very happy and have high expectations.”
Addressing the municipal authorities present, Lampazzi stated: “thank you very much for believing in this project and giving us the opportunity to offer this, which will be a leap in quality.”
For his part, the vice president of the entity and delegate to CAME, Jorge Villalta, maintained that “I value very much what is being done today, as this is the culmination of 14 years of struggle. In the world, in Argentina, and in Entre Ríos, shopping centers have advanced; here there was always a 'but,' which is why we celebrate this ordinance and are very eager to see the first fruits.”
BENEFIT
Government Secretary Luciano Dell´Olio stated that in the drafting of the ordinance project, “all parties have worked, and I thank them for their commitment. This will bring an enormous benefit to the commerce of Concordia.”
Vice Mayor Magdalena Reta de Urquiza indicated that the creation of this space “is one more step we are taking on the road to the Bicentennial of Concordia,” for which “we must have a city that is in accordance,” anticipating that this project will be one of the topics to be discussed in the extraordinary session of the Deliberative Council this Friday.
The presentation was attended by municipal officials, council members, representatives, and members of the city's institutions.