The Comércio quarter's revitalization project, idealized and conceived by the Municipal City Hall of Salvador, in partnership with the State Government, CODEBA (State Docks Company of Bahia) and the Commercial Association, aims at giving back the characteristics lost along the years to this historical site, promoting its resurgence as a residential area and as a commercial, industrial and services development pole.

Approximately 50,000 people circulate through Comércio by using the most varied means of transportation that serve this region. The installation of the Faculdade da Cidade (Cidade College) brought a new contingent of 1,300 people, among students and administrative body, and it is foreseen an increase to 2,500 people there in the second semester of 2004. Confirming the quarter's tendency of becoming an education development pole, another two colleges will be installed in the area next year.

By the end of the year, the installation of 14 jurisdictions of the Regional Work Court will bring to Comércio another new development pole and there will be again a great number of liberal professionals circulating around the Regional Work Court. Besides this, there will also be an important job and income generation in the Comércio's surroundings, which is a characteristic of this kind of public agency installation.

Another important event related to the Comércio's Quarter Revitalization is the implementation of the Call Center sector. The Call Center sector has been accredited to establish itself in the quarter and benefited from the fiscal incentives offered by the City Hall and State Government. Nowadays it already counts on a call center unit in operation and two new units will be installed (one in the telecom company Telemar and the other in Bank of Brazil). These units were responsible for creating more than 3,500 direct jobs.

Counting on CODEBA as a partner, some studies have been carried out to integrate the port area to the city. It will make all that area available to population and tourists that come here and are interested in knowing the natural beauties of the town, such as its sunset - one of the most beautiful in the world.

With the purpose of offering comfort, security and punctuality to the new public, a peripheral parking system must be implemented in the second semester by utilizing some SUDESB spaces, next to Octávio Mangabeira Stadium (called Fonte Nova), and the parking lot of São Raimundo Stadium, totalizing more than 900 spaces.

Analyzing this entire adherence to the Comércio's quarter revitalization program, we are sure that about 7,000 direct and indirect jobs will be generated. So, an increasing number of new and diversified companies in the quarter, as, for instance, bars, restaurants, stationery shops, bookstores, computer stores, and other service providers, is said to be established.

Current data about such revitalization:

• Installation of Faculdade da Cidade (Cidade College) in December 2003. Its classes began in February 2004 and 1,800 students were enrolled;
• A joint work with SEBRAE (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service) for qualifying entrepreneurs and employees of stores located in Comércio;
• Agreement with SEBRAE for Comércio's socio-economic study through Business Census, which is almost at the end;
• Call Center Unit called Comunique with 100 jobs;
• Bank of Brazil's Call Center Unit, with 3,000 jobs and installation foreseen for January 2005;
• Telemar's Call Center Unit, with 1,300 employees and installation foreseen near October 2004. It will have an increase to 2,000 employees until the first semester of 2005;
• The installation of the Regional Work Court with 14 civil jurisdictions is foreseen for the second semester of 2004;
• Installation of Faculdade São Salvador (Salvador College), with eight courses;
• Increase of 40% in vehicle circulation in the main parking lots;
• Installation of the Digital Condominium by the State Government with 80 companies, 40 incubated companies, 520 specialized jobs and 700 technical-administrative jobs.