The former horse-drawn streetcar depot in Gdansk's Oliwa is today in a deplorable condition. The plot along with the monument wants to develop the Doraco company, announcing the construction of apartments and services. However, its plans for the height of the development are causing debate in the city.
The former horse-drawn streetcar depot in Gdansk's Oliwa at the intersection of the city's main artery - Grunwaldzka Avenue and Pomorska Street, in the vicinity of the Mill Pond, is today one of the places rightly regarded in Gdansk as a "plot of shame."
former horse streetcar depot awaits rescue
The complex was erected in 1873 to service Gdansk's first horse-drawn streetcar line, connecting Targ Sienny in the city center with the then suburban Oliwa. In subsequent years, the buildings changed their functions: for a while the depot housed a soap factory, a prison, apartments for ZKM employees and municipal housing. Later, the building had no luck with investors - in 1996 the City sold the building to the Foundation for Economic and Economic Education Pro Publico Bono, then the owner was the Easy.pl company. Despite many announcements of renovations and promises to develop the site, the plans came to nothing. Instead, the monument was deteriorating, and fires broke out on the site more than once. The Pomeranian Conservator of Monuments even tried to force work on the owners, the Easy.pl company was threatened with expropriation. This did not happen, and to this day the former horse-drawn streetcar depot is in a deplorable condition.
The former streetcar depot has been falling into disrepair for years
photo: Ewa Karendys
Currently, the building is in the hands of Idea Invest, a company belonging to the Doraco Group, which is planning apartments and commercial premises on the plot. To carry out these plans, however, it is necessary to change the zoning plan. The current plan was enacted in 2011 and allows for the construction of a hotel or a collective residence facility, which means that apartments for rent could be built there.
An earlier concept involving a 35-meter dominant
© Staraoliwa.pl recording of the investor's presentation during the meeting of the Spatial Development Committee of the Gdansk City Council
no consensus on the form of development
The concept is being prepared by architect Marcin Kaniewski, known, among others, for his design of the Sopot Centrum train station complex. In September this year the investor presented a vision of the facility's expansion, assuming, among other things, a 35-meter-high spatial dominant - this is the maximum height that planners from the Gdansk Development Bureau see there. Meanwhile, the historic part itself would be expanded by two floors. However, this vision did not gain the approval of the Gdansk City Council's Land Use Committee, which decided that the proposed higher part of the building should be lowered.
One of the development concepts for the site of the former streetcar depot in Oliva
© Doraco
Last week Doraco showed another design that was supposed to take into account the comments, but , as it turned out , a compromise was still not reached. Although the spatial dominant was "cut" by the investor to 28 meters, but in order to compensate for the area, the developer raised the superstructure in the historic part - from 2 to 3 stories (from about 16 to 20 meters). The reason? Such parameters were agreed to by Dariusz Chmielewski, Pomeranian Regional Conservator of Monuments, who - already taking over as conservator - made no secret of the fact that he would be sympathetic to investors, especially those who want to renovate historic buildings.
However, as the councilmen, members of the committee , pointed out, in the latest concept the former horse streetcar depot is lost under the weight of new development.
The investor's latest vision, which calls for raising the historic part by three stories, is inconsistent with the expectations of the Land Use Commission
© Staraoliwa.pl recording of the investor's presentation during the meeting of the Spatial Development Commission of the Gdansk City Council
Agreed, now the tallest part is not so dominant, but not by limiting its height, but by the fact that the investor with the height of the superstructure on historical buildings is trying to balance the proportions. We were not aware of such an idea, and this is not what we had in mind when we formulated the proposal to lower the height ," said a surprised Katarzyna Czerniawska, chairwoman of the Land Use Committee, during the session.
And this means that the search for a compromise solution is still ongoing.
The former depot building is located on Grunwaldzka Avenue - the city's main artery
photo: Ewa Karendys
The current project, is the result of many meetings, analyses and field studies, says Angelika Cieślowska, CEO of Doraco. - We want it to blend in with the downtown buildings of Oliva while respecting the historic character of the place.In addition, we will emphasize in the concept the presence of the depot, which will be the focal point of the development. However, it should be emphasized that we are still at the beginning of the procedure for changing the zoning plan - we are not talking about details, but only setting the boundary parameters of the plan. The details of the project will be agreed upon in further stages of the work.
