Dolnych Młynów Street in Cracow will change beyond recognition - a developer, who is building a high-standard commercial and residential complex nearby, will make his contribution. What does the redevelopment of Dolnych Młynów street entail and who will benefit most from it?
Although it's been four years since the closure of the catering complex in the old cigar factory on Dolnych Młynów Street, the younger generation of people living in Krakow still associate this place primarily with a space where one could eat well, have fun and meet with friends. At the same time, the noise, trash and all-night parties were effective in making life miserable for residents of the neighborhood. Those times, however, are gone forever, and the problems have become obsolete, as the complex formerly managed by the Tytano Foundation will be replaced by the Dolne Młyny 10 buildings being erected by developer NOHO Investment. However, this is not the only change that awaits the neighborhood - in recent days, during a meeting with residents, the Board of Urban Greenery presented a concept for the development of Dolnych Młynów Street, which will undergo a profound metamorphosis.
Redevelopment of Dolnych Młynów street in Krakow
© Board of Urban Greenery in Krakow
Dolne Młyny in its cultural and entertainment formula was by design a temporary project. The site of the former cigar factory belonged to Spanish investor Immobiliaria Camins, which was looking for a way to increase the value of the property. The contract that the Tytano Foundation signed with the investor in 2015 lasted for five years - despite high hopes, Immobiliaria Camins chose not to extend it. Shortly thereafter, the site and its buildings were sold to the developer.
Redevelopment of Dolnych Młynów street in Krakow
© Zarząd Zieleni Miejskiej w Krakowie
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"An exclusive complex" - this is how NOHO Investment, a developer known for its high-standard residential and residential-service complexes built in the most representative parts of cities, such as on Świdnicka Street in Wrocław, where the Solpol Department Store once stood, describes its project. The Krakow investment involves revitalizing the space of the former State Cigar and Tobacco Products Factory. The remaining buildings will be renovated and transformed into a multifunctional complex, which will be dominated by apartments. The original revitalization project was prepared by the SAO Investments studio, which in Cracow is responsible for such projects as the building on the corner of Piłsudskiego and Straszewskiego streets and the building at 3 Rajska Street, which is, incidentally, the closest neighbor of the new NOHO investment. In the case of Dolne Młynów 10, as the project was named by the developer, there will be apartments, two hotels and a gastronomic zone. The standard, as befits an "ultra-premium class" development, will include an extensive program of common areas - residents will have access to, among other things, a sauna, a fitness zone or a cinema room.
Redevelopment of Dolnych Młynów street in Cracow
© Board of Urban Greenery in Krakow
Such conveniences will come at a price - as recently as last year Gazeta Wyborcza reported that the price per square meter of an apartment on Dolnych Młynów 10 could be as high as PLN 40,000. Observing the dynamics of the real estate market, it can be expected that prices will rise even more over time. Thus, the apartments will go to the richest, certainly many of them will be intended for rent aimed at tourists crowding Krakow. Changing an open-to-the-city, bottom-up shaped space into an "exclusive" complex sounds like a model example of gentrification. However, the developer has spotted a common interest that could benefit both current residents of the area and future tenants of the new apartments. At issue is the reconstruction of Dolnych Młynów Street, whose aesthetics have been questionable for years, and which is neither safe for pedestrians nor efficient from the standpoint of traffic.
Reconstruction of Dolnych Młynów street in Krakow
© Board of Urban Greenery in Krakow
between the city, residents and the developer
The draft of the new development for Dolnych Młynów Street in Krakow is the result of public consultations organized by the developer and two municipal institutions - the Cracow Roads Authority and the Board of Urban Greenery. Talks with residents and stakeholders began on September 13 and lasted until November 8 of this year. They resulted in two variants of the project, which envisage a far-reaching metamorphosis of Dolnych Młynów Street, both in terms of traffic organization and the arrangement of space and green infrastructure.
Redevelopment of Dolnych Młynów street in Krakow
© Board of Urban Greenery in Krakow
Dolnych Młynów street in green
After reconstruction, Dolnych Młynów Street in Krakow will get new greenery. According to ZZM, the green and blue infrastructure will include the installation of 6 facade gardens, the creation of new rain gardens of more than 200 square meters, the placement of 17 pots with retention tanks, and finally the planting of 37 new trees. These will appear in several places. The first of these will be a section of Krupnicza Street, located between Garncarska and Szujskiego Streets. 13 new specimens will appear here. The remaining 24 trees are to be planted in the course of Dolnych Młynów Street - from the intersection with Krupnicza Street to Rajska Street. The largest condensation of new trees will be in the southern section of Dolnych Młynów, which will be connected to the square of Father Mieczyslaw Kuznowicz, founder of the Union of Industrial and Handicraft Youth, having its headquarters in the nearby building on Skarbowa Street. Benches will also appear here, and sidewalks will be widened to make room for food gardens. The Board of Urban Greenery announces an aesthetic metamorphosis of the place - the street is to be raised, the pavement unified, and a mosaic will appear where the Mlynówka riverbed used to run.
Reconstruction of Dolnych Młynów Street in Krakow
© Board of Urban Greenery in Krakow
What about cars?
Along with the new name will also come a fundamental change in the way this space is used - car traffic is to be reduced significantly, even the introduction of a "residential zone" is being considered. An important issue during the consultations turned out to be the two Kiss+Ride spots, which currently mainly serve patients of the nearby J. Dietl Hospital. At a meeting held on November 7, two concepts were presented - one in which the parking spaces are retained, and another in which they are replaced by greenery. Final decisions on how to solve the problem are still pending.
part of a larger whole
The redevelopment of Dolnych Młynów Street and the resulting change of use of the former cigar factory complex is a bittersweet story. Krakow has lost an extremely valuable space that for several years of its existence had become a place for meetings, the development of local businesses and cultural events. Surrounding residents have instead gained the peace and quiet that the gastronomic face of Krakow's Dolne Młyny Street took away from them, and they may also get a whole new face for their immediate surroundings. The transformation of Dolnych Młynów Street will become another brick in the process of transforming public areas in Piasek into modern, green and pedestrian-friendly spaces, after Krupnicza Street and Wisława Szymborska Park.
