Iphan says he was not notified of the race at Ibirapuera – 02/15/2024 – Sports

The holding of a motorsport event that was scheduled to take place at the beginning of March at the Ícaro de Castro Mello stadium, in Ibirapuera, was not communicated to Iphan (Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage), which provisionally listed the space in 2021.

“Iphan was not notified about interventions related to the automobile event. We clarify that, for this type of event, prior approval from Iphan-SP is also required, in accordance with ordinance 420. The body will carry out an inspection to investigate the situation”, said the institute in a note published this Thursday (15).

Earlier, Iphan himself had announced that the removal of the rubber flooring from the track was also not authorized to be carried out.

The sports secretary of the State of São Paulo, Colonel Helena Reis, however, stated that she had authorization granted by the institute through a technical opinion dated March 9, 2022 for the removal of the stadium’s rubberized track and the replacement of the lawn for artificial grass, as well as for the renovation of the gym that makes up the complex.

“There was no communication because there was already prior authorization from Iphan,” the secretariat told Sheet. Subsequently, the institute recognized authorization for the removal of the floor.

The stadium track was removed last week. Criticism from the athletics community due to the misuse of the space caused the government to go back and terminate the stadium’s lease contract.

According to Iphan, the sports complex and its facilities – which include the stadium, the Ibirapuera gymnasium and the swimming pools – are currently in the final phase of listing studies and any changes must be previously communicated and approved, with technical analysis.

According to the sports department, the priority given by the current management was to start renovating the dome, since the leaks on the surface of the gym could damage the volleyball and basketball court, which is in good condition.

She says that the athletics track was already quite deteriorated when she took over, and was unable to receive amateur or professional athletes. “In March 2023, at the beginning of our management, I carried out an inspection and found several problems. The track was full of holes, with a risk of causing accidents.”

According to CBAt (Brazilian Athletics Confederation), the last competition at the location took place in 2015, when the Junior Brazilian Championship was held.

The renovation of the athletics track, added Reis, should only take place after the end of the listing process carried out by Iphan. The secretariat must wait for the institute’s position in relation to the listing to find out what structural changes can be made to the stadium.

“We didn’t have the same urgency to renovate the runway [quando a gestão atual assumiu] because structural reform was not yet authorized, only the removal of the rubberized material. It wasn’t our priority, but we saw the opportunity because of the event.”

She also stated that conversations between the secretariat and Ultimate Drift, organizer of the automobile event, are underway to relocate the event within the Ibirapuera sports complex itself. The tendency is for the ‘drift’ test, known for cars skidding, to take place in the parking space of the sports complex, with the installation of stands for the public.

The secretariat added that the change of location for the event was due to protests from the athletics community.

CBAt released a note on Wednesday (14) in which it said it was concerned about the works and the use of the space for a car race. “CBAt comes out publicly to inform its immense indignation at seeing the temple of São Paulo athletics, which hosted very important international competitions, deteriorated, and, perhaps, destroyed,” said the confederation.

Olympic champion in the 800 meters at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, Joaquim Cruz also expressed his annoyance regarding the destruction of the track. “The base of the Ibirapuera athletics track was not built to support car racing events and will have a higher cost for its restoration,” wrote Cruz.

Opened in 1974, the stadium’s concession to the private sector was announced by then-governor João Doria in March 2019. In June of the same year, the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo approved the privatization of the sports equipment.

In November 2021, however, Iphan announced the provisional listing of the sports complex. At the time, the public body highlighted that the facilities that make up the sports complex could not be “destroyed, demolished or mutilated”, under penalty of a fine of 50% of the damage caused.

In January 2024, the Federal Court in São Paulo decided to maintain the provisional emergency listing of the sports complex, following a writ of mandamus filed by the government of São Paulo, owner of the property.

In the writ of mandamus, the São Paulo government of Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) informed that the emergency listing would make it difficult to modernize the structures of the sports complex, which would be carried out through a concession to the private sector. The government also claimed the complex’s lack of historical and cultural relevance.

“The Federal Court’s decision validates an unusual procedure at Iphan, which is emergency listing, carried out when there is a threat to an asset that has not yet been the subject of a definitive technical study to assess its cultural importance”, said federal prosecutor Estela at the time. Vilela, from the Federal Attorney’s Office at Iphan in São Paulo.