Four contracts worth 57 million euros awarded for integrated development projects in Zagreb, Zaprešić and Varaždin

In Zagreb, Paromlin is being renovated, in Zaprešić, Novi Dvori is being revitalized, and Varaždin will get the Regional Center for Pre-Incubation in Smart Industry and the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries. Minister of Regional Development and European Union Funds Nataša Mikuš Žigman, in the presence of the Director of the Central Agency for Financing and Contracting of Programmes and Projects of the European Union Dragan Jelić, presented contracts for four projects from the ITU mechanism worth a total of 88 million euros, of which 57 million euros are grants, for integrated development projects in Zagreb, Zaprešić and Varaždin.
The contract for the project "Zagreb City Library and Socio-Cultural Center at the Paromlin location" worth 66.57 million euros, of which 40 million euros are non-refundable EU funds, was taken over on behalf of the user, the City of Zagreb, by the Head of the Expert Service of the City Administration Željko Matijašec. This is the largest ITU project in this financial perspective, thanks to which a brownfield location in the city center will be transformed into a multifunctional public space, with a modern library and a socio-cultural center.
"Paromlin is one of Zagreb's most important monuments of industrial architecture and a cultural asset of the Republic of Croatia, and I especially highlight it because it is the largest project in terms of value that the Government has enabled as part of the Integrated Territorial Investment Program. This project confirms the Government's commitment to encouraging urban development and sends a strong message of support to all citizens of Zagreb, as well as the wider community, that the Government cares about their needs. Thanks to these investments, our cities will be greener, more digitally and technologically advanced, with a revitalized cultural heritage," said Minister Mikuš Žigman during the contract presentation, recalling that as much as 680 million euros have been secured for cities from the ITU mechanism.

The contract for the project "New Dress of the New Palaces" worth 9.82 million euros, of which 7 million euros are non-refundable EU funds, was taken over by the Mayor of Zaprešić and the President of the Association of Cities Željko Turk. This project will restore and valorize four cultural heritage sites in Zaprešić, which are registered in the Register of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia.

On behalf of all beneficiaries, Mayor Turk thanked the Government and the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds for recognizing the need, importance and responsibility of joint investments through the ITU mechanism in urban development. "The recognition of these needs speaks of the Government's thinking today, but also for the future, that through investments in entrepreneurship, green infrastructure, cultural heritage, energy efficiency and other key segments, we create better conditions for the lives of our citizens. The satisfaction is even greater because through the ITU mechanism we have seen that cities and municipalities have a large number of quality and well-prepared projects, which means that we are doing well and that we are on the right track when it comes to urban development, and the synergy and unity of the Government and the regional and especially local self-government to which these projects relate are a guarantee for the future," concluded Mayor Turk.
Two contracts worth almost 10 million euros in EU grants were also awarded for the urban area of ​​Varaždin.
The first contract worth 5.21 million euros was awarded for the construction and equipping of the Regional Center for Pre-Incubation in Smart Industry, whose Applicant is the Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb. This is the first entrepreneurial infrastructure in Croatia that will implement pre-incubation programs and thus encourage faster growth of entrepreneurship and increase investment and employment in the field of smart industry, and the contract was taken over by Varaždin Deputy Mayor Miroslav Marković and Dean of FOI Marina Klačmer Čalopa.
The second contract worth 4.73 million euros relates to the renovation of the abandoned brownfield location of the former cinema "Dom", where the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries will be built and equipped. Along with the Deputy Mayor of Varaždin, the contract was taken over by Director Lana Velimirović Vukalović on behalf of the User of the Varaždin Open University.
"We recognize cities and their urban areas, where two-thirds of Croatia's population live, as drivers of development. Life happens in cities, they are the focus of social, cultural and economic activities, and they have the responsibility to be generators of knowledge, innovation, new ideas and sustainable development. Therefore, we will continue to cooperate with mayors and the Association of Cities, in order to successfully use all the funds made available to us from EU funds, but also to jointly improve regulations and plan new projects for future growth and development," concluded Minister Mikuš Žigman, congratulating all beneficiaries on the signed contracts and wishing them full success in implementing the projects