Back in 2002 Kees Eijrond entered a contract to buy an historic Lisbon building, known as Palacete de Santa Catarina, to renovate it into a luxury Hotel. The owner was the state-owned bank Caixa Geral de Depositos and the building, originally the house of the Conde de Verride had served has headquarters of the Insurer Fidelidade. The City Council of Lisbon claimed a preference right and eventually bought the building in 2003. Kees Eijrond challenged the whole process and for the next years litigated against the City Council and the bank CGD in both administrative and civil courts.
At the end of this long calvary and having won in the courts of law, Kees Eijrond entered a tripartite deal with his former adversaries.
The deal, reached in the final days of 2012 allowed Kees Eijrond to buy the building and secure the approval of a distinctive renovation project, duly scrutinized and accompanied by a special projects unit of the Council of Lisbon.
The renovation of the Palacete de Santa Catarina means a foreign direct investment of more than 15 million Euros. The Hotel, also part of the City Council endeavors to requalify the Santa Catarina and adjacent Miradouro do Adamastor neighborhood, is due to open in the early months of 2015.
The favorable resolution of the Palacete de Santa Catarina affair deeply impacted the resident Dutch community whose members regularly complain of frustrating relations with Portuguese public officials.
Valadas Coriel & Associados represented Kees Eijrond throughout the affair and currently advises his companies in the Hotel investment, dealing with the planning issues, contractors and government tax and other incentives for tourism.
