Poznan developer plans aqua park project; city houses police force
Developer Wielkopolskie Towarzystwo Inwestycyjne (WTI), owned by Polish and U.S. investors, plans to start construction this year on a $95.2 million aqua park project near the western city of Poznan.
The project, scheduled for completion in late 2001 or early 2002, could be the nation's first large scale water park, nationwide said Bart Deneve, project manager with WTI.
But not for long. There are several aqua park projects in the pipeline in Poland, Deneve said, including some more by WTI.
Currently the only aqua park nationwide is a stand-alone park in the town of Polkowice, Deneve said. WTI's blueprints call for development of an entire complex, which in addition to water recreation facilities will include a sports hall, hotel, vacation homes and a two-hectare artificial lake, Deneve said. The WTI complex will be located on a 35-hectare site in the town of Tarnowo Podgorne, 11 kilometers west of Poznan.
WTI decided to build its aqua park in Poznan because of the city's fair and exhibition business, a core attraction for tourists and the business community. Additionally Poznan lacks hotel space. WTI decided not to locate in central Poznan because aqua parks typically draw from a broader regional community, traditionally within a 270-kilometer radius. Tarnowo Podgorne is located at the crossing of the current road linking Warsaw and Berlin and about 10 kilometers from the planned Warsaw-Berlin motorway.
WTI will finance the investment from shareholder capital and not bank credit, said Deneve, who would not name U.S. investors other than to say they were part of a financial group with investments in hotels, road construction and water treatment. The aqua park complex will include 25,000 square meters of space for recreation facilities and a 150-room, three-four star hotel with conference facilities that is targeting business travelers. Everything will be under one roof, Deneve said. In addition to the recreation and hotel complex, the project will include 350 vacation homes, ranging from 65-72 square meters of floor space. Homes will be leased on a timeshare basis, with the pricing yet to be worked out, Deneve said.
Belgium's aqua park operator Sun Parks will operate the WTI complex in Poznan, Deneve said. Sun Parks operates four aqua parks in Belgium, and Poznan's project will be the first Sun Parks' project outside of Belgium.
WTI's plans concerning aqua parks in Poland go beyond the Poznan project, Deneve said. The company is also looking to build parks in Warsaw by 2004 and later in the Katowice area by 2005, he said.
Policing the streets
Warsaw's Gmina Centrum plans to invest zl. 50 million ($10.25 million) into development of a housing project for city police on ulica Jagiellonska in the Praga Polnoc district of Warsaw.
In late October, Gmina Centrum officials signed a preliminary agreement with the state treasury to take over a 168,891 square-meter site on ulica Jagiellonska, where the gmina wants to develop approximately 1,200 residences, both hotel-type and apartment-type, for the local police force. Although no dates were available for completion of the project, once finished, the gmina said it will give the space to Warsaw Police under a 25-year use permit, according to the gmina.
The city's move into the housing market for its police force is a human resources initiative to attract law enforcement staff to the capital city, officials said. Currently, demand for police services in Warsaw outpaces supply and a major deterrent in attracting officers is the relatively high cost of living in the capital, according to the gmina.
By developing a residential project in run-down and crime-ridden district of Praga Polnoc, Gmina Centrum could also encourage revival in the area, industry members said. "Those public investments are always stimulating," said Maciej Nowotny, who runs property agency Poland Relocations Services. Relocating policemen to an area that is considered unsafe is a smart move," he said. "The character of this district could be changed."
Housing for city police would be the third public residential investment by Gmina Centrum in the Praga Polnoc district. Last year, the gmina completed development of 144 apartments on ulica Zabkowska with construction underway for another 138 units down the street.
In brief: The Gdansk-based Polnord construction and development firm in November will start construction of Trakt Krolewski, a 12-story residential and retail building on ulica Sikorskiego in the Warsaw district of Mokotow, the developer said. Blueprints call for a groundfloor retail area including bank service with upper floors reserved for residential use. Apartments will range in size from one-bedroom smaller units to multi-room flats up to 100 square meters, Polnord said. Warsaw-based architect Szymon Wojciechowski designed the project and construction is planned for completion in 2001. The price tag on residences will range from $1,100 to $1,600 per square meter.
Globe Trade Centre developer next spring will start construction of a massive residential project, Konstancja, in the suburb of Konstancin south of Warsaw. GTC plans to build 47 separate units to bring the total of semi-attached residences to 105 during the project's first phase, scheduled for completion in 18 months. The asking price will run $950-$1,150 a square meter, excluding costs of land acquisition, said Zygmunt Chyla, marketing manager with GTC. The price for land will be about $100 per square meter and lots will range from 1,000 and 1,500 square meters, Chyla said. GTC plans that its multiphase, five-year Konstancja development located over 47 hectares of land will eventually have 183 buildings and 400 residences, Chyla said.
Belgium-based developer Liebrecht & Wood will invest ECU 76.5 million ($73 million) into development of three office projects: the Warsaw Kopernik and Batory buildings and Flanders Business Park, according to the developer. Kopernik, located in western Warsaw on Aleje Jerozolimskie will have 29,930 square meters of office space. Batory, located nearby also on Aleje Jerozolimskie, will have 21,540 square meters of office space. Flanders Business Park, located between Aleje Jerozolimskie and Aleja Krakowska, will have 15,040 square meters of office space.
