Warsaw splashes out

Warsaw's city authorities have allocated a record sum of zł.26.8 million in this year's budget for the renovation of privately owned historical buildings. This marks a sharp increase over previous years, when most of the money designated for renovation went to churches.

The authorities hope that the allocated funds will help make Warsaw's Old Town and Royal Way areas even more attractive before the Euro 2012 soccer championships. This does not mean, however, that other districts will be excluded from the project.

"Warsaw needs to get prettier before Euro 2012, so that we are not ashamed of it," Warsaw's Deputy Mayor, Jacek Wojciechowicz, recently told Rzeczpospolita.

City officials fear, however, that it will be difficult to spend all of the designated money by the end of the year. Owners of buildings listed in the register of historical properties have to turn in their application forms by the end of February. Applicants should have a renovation plan and a building permit by the time of application.

Warsaw has been offering funds for the renovation of privately owned historical properties for three years now. In 2006 and 2007, the available sums amounted to zł.4.7 million and zł.6.8 million respectively. In both years, the value of the renovation projects proposed by the owners greatly exceeded those figures.

Apart from the city's funds, renovation in Warsaw can also be financed by the European Union. The Mazowieckie voivodship has been granted EUR 16.5 (zł.59) million from the European Regional Development Fund for renovation projects in the years 2007-2013. Currently, a local revitalization program is being prepared by Warsaw officials which will specify properties that qualify for European funds.