Sopot's center back on track

Work was supposed to start on Sopot's new center three years ago but had to be suspended. This was initially due to a protest from local inhabitants, but later it turned out that the developers, NDI, were not able to finance the project. This was despite the fact that the land for the development was provided by the city hall when the Haffner's Center Partnership was set up with the aim of reconstructing the city center.

Last week PKO BP announced that it was interested in joining the partnership. The bank will acquire a 49.5-percent share (with 32.3 percent for the City of Sopot and 18.2 percent for NDI) in the consortium, and it will give a EUR 74.5 (zł.285) million loan to the developer. Sheraton Overseas will also participate in the project by managing a hotel that is planned for the center.

The Mayor of Sopot, Jacek Karnowski, was glad the bank was interested in financing the investment: "We can say that now we'll be able to complete the post-war reconstruction of the city center."

Regina Kaszkur from the city development strategy department at Sopot's City Hall, presented the schedule of the works: "First the mineral spa and the multi-storey parking lots [will be built], then the hotel, then the shopping mall and finally the tunnel. The works will be launched in March and will be completed within 24 months."

According to official plans, the 52,000-sqm complex will also house art galleries, an office building, a mineral spa with a conference center, a residential complex, shops and restaurants. The tunnel built along ul. Grunwaldzka will increase the length of the pedestrian zone from ul. Niepodległości to the Sopot Pier. NDI estimates that the total cost of the investment will reach EUR 90 (zł.334) million.

Andrzej Wróbel