PL

I2 Development plans big

Residential
POLAND Fourteen buildings on a 2.6 ha plot between the Old Town and the river in Wrocław – these are the plans for a new, lively quarter of the city around 8 Jana Pawła II square. The development plans for the former Babiński hospital have already been submitted to the monuments preservation officer.

Some of the planned buildings have been granted building permits; and work has started in some places. The developer – I2 Development – is also planning another project nearby. It has purchased a plot on the other side of the moat connected with the river Odra. The area of the former hospital, which has been offered to buyers on several occasions, was finally purchased in February 2014, when the provincial authorities sold the property for PLN 35.8 mln. The Bulwar Staromiejski project will consist of 14 buildings, the majority of which will be renovated historic buildings, mostly designated by the developer for apartments as well as commercial areas. 494 apartments are to be built in the project as well as three underground car parks with a total of 398 spaces. Some of the flats could be classified as lofts judging by their appearance. However, Marcin Misztal, the vice-president of the company, says that the buildings have never been used by industry, so it would be difficult to call them true-to-life lofts. However, apartments in historic buildings have some potential. The majority have ceilings almost 4m in height, some even up to 4.7m. This provides opportunities for all the kinds of designs and installations that feature in modern housing.

The project will also involve the construction of 3,369 sqm of office space and 5,810 sqm of retail space. The developer has already started negotiations with local restaurant owners over the space along the boulevard. I2 will be laying on a special service for owners of apartments in the project. They will be able to order dishes from the restaurants on the boulevard to be delivered directly to their tables. This will form part of the expanded concierge services planned.

As Marcin Misztal, the vice-president of the company’s board, has revealed to us, one of the buildings is to be demolished. A modern luxury apartment building is to be developed on its site and will offer short-term leasing options. It will be one of two new buildings in the project. The second new building will be located on a currently undeveloped site and will be quite narrow. “Apart from Alexanderhaus, a building neighbouring the city’s arsenal building next door has been granted a building permit. It will comprise a restaurant and a café in the future. The renovation of the brick building has already started,” added Marcin Misztal. In June the developer obtained new permits for two more buildings, i.e. the redevelopment of a brick Neo-Gothic former hospital building that neighbours Alexanderhaus, which is to include loft-style apartments, as well as a facility including a historic chimney with an area of 739 sqm, which is to also include a restaurant with an outdoor garden in the summer months.

Centre ofgravity moves to the river

Apart from the work on all these buildings the developer also intends to revitalise the area around the moat and the river. This will feature a public marina, a city beach, a fishing spot as well as a 230m promenade on the moat and a 260 sqm one including a city square on the river Odra. The project will also involve the development of a nursery school, a health zone, a cycle path and a running path, and a square near the arsenal, including an exhibition of bastion fortifications. The developer also plans to exhibit the uncovered remnants of the crownwork bastion, the remains of the city wall and an air-raid trench. Probably the longest bench in Europe – 120m in length – is to be placed between the buildings among old growth forest, which is to be maintained. By comparison, says the vice-president of the company, the famous 110m Gaudi bench in Barcelona has been considered to be the longest until now. The project requires the developer to apply for permits separately for each of the buildings and facilities. All the construction work is to start by the end of 2015 and should take three years. The general contractor will be Korfantowskie Przedsiębiorstwo Budowlane (KPB), while the Chamielec Architekci studio is responsible for the architectural design work. Both companies are subsidiaries of the I2 Development group.

And thats not all folks...

I2 Development has substantial investment plans. The vice-president of the company admits that the company’s investment in development projects in Wrocław (the construction of current projects and the purchase of new land) is estimated at app. PLN 100 mln. Its land bank allows it to develop an area of 93,000 sqm, including 1,400 apartments and 28,000 sqm of commercial space. The company is currently selling 14 projects. One is a residential project on a recently purchased 1 ha site on the corner of ul.  Legnicka and ul. Przedmiejska. This will include more than 200 apartments with retail and services on the ground floors of the buildings. Other plots owned by the developer are located opposite Bulwar Staromiejski, on the other side of the river. The company is to build a residential complex including a service and office area on the ground floor on a plot on ul. Księcia Witolda. This also includes a historic granary building, which is to be redeveloped and refurbished. The work on the revitalisation of the granary building is to start this year after consultations with the provincial historic monuments preservation officer.

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