Court Suspends São Paulo 'Times Square' Boulevard Project

Overview

• A judge from the 4ª Vara da Fazenda Pública issued a provisional injunction that paused the Boulevard São João project on Wednesday, blocking any further work while the case proceeds.
• The order bars the mounting, installation or projection of the planned LED panels on four downtown buildings and sets possible daily fines for noncompliance.
• The court required the municipality and the private operator to present the cooperation term, SMUL technical opinions and Conpresp deliberations so the judge can assess procedural and heritage approvals.
• The privately funded plan, presented in April by Mayor Ricardo Nunes and Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, would install large LED screens, close the São João‑Ipiranga intersection on weekends and begin operations around September with roughly R$ 42 million in private investment by Fábrica de Bares.
• Critics say the scheme relies on a rare exception to the Lei Cidade Limpa and risks weakening limits on outdoor advertising, while the city has said it will likely appeal and proponents warn of investor losses if the pause continues.