Wroclaw Technological Park gets a home
The Wroclaw Technological Park (WPT) finally got a home last week when the state treasury's Agricultural Land Agency (AWRSP) gave organizers permission to build the park on a piece of its property, the Warsaw Business Journal has learned.
"The park got the rights to manage the land," said Marek Winkowski, WPT board member and director of the Economic Initiatives office in Wroclaw's city hall.
Progress on the park, which has been in the works for more than two years, stalled as organizers looked for a site. But now with 50 hectares on the southern edge of Wroclaw and a management agreement nailed down, organizers received the necessary green light to take the project to market.
"We are already carrying out discussions with investors who can be interested, and I hope that by the end of the year or no later than January we will select a group of 10-11 (of the) first companies that will invest in the park," Winkowski said.
Time was of the essence to give the homeless high-tech initiative renewed momentum. Hope was kindled earlier this year with the advent of administrative reform that took effect on Jan. 1. Under that reform, much property formerly owned by central-government institutions could pass to local government bodies. That meant that the 50-hectare site held by the treasury's AWRSP could be transferred to the Lower Silesian voivodship and then city authorities at no charge if it was to be used for regional development purposes.
That hand over had been held up by the Treasury Ministry, which had feared that giving the land free of charge to park developers would set a precedent sparking an avalanche of similar requests, Winkowski said.
Getting the land at low cost or for free was key to the city of Wroclaw. In the absence of a special economic zone status for the park, the city could only sweeten its offer to attract investors with local-tax breaks and low price tags for rents and land purchases. Moreover, the city could not afford the AWRSP's asking price, which was never publicly disclosed. Later park organizers had tried to convince the AWRSP to create a joint venture in which it would receive shares in the technical park in return for providing the land. The AWRSP balked at the idea.
With a land management deal now clinched, WPT can move ahead with infrastructure investments and negotiations with potential investors. The city of Wroclaw has already set aside zl. 5.6 million ($1.4 million) for infrastructure investments and to cover the architectural plans for the site.
"Budget decisions are such that the first road will be built in the park and sewage infrastructure (will come) from the city budget," Winkowski said.
