Minister Bačić: Experts will assess whether to renovate or demolish Vjesnik skyscraper

Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Branko Bačić announced on Wednesday that, if experts decide so, the Vjesnik building burned down in the fire would be renovated right away, but it is necessary to wait for structural engineers to decide whether the skyscraper should be renovated or demolished.

“Our view is that, if the Vjesnik building can be renovated, we will begin the renovation right away, we will not wait a single day,” Bačić said to reporters in the Parliament, adding that it will depend on the verdict of experts.

Yesterday my Ministry immediately held a meeting with the Croatian Centre for Earthquake Engineering and the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Zagreb in order to promptly assess the existing condition and the current situation regarding the skyscraper structure to see whether it will be necessary to renovate it, demolish it or reconstruct it, Bačić said.

“It is still not possible to positively determine the building’s mechanical resistance status, which would indicate whether to renovate it or demolish it. Our priority is to cut off traffic through Slavonska avenija until we are sure the skyscraper is mechanically stable. Until this is determined, we will continuously monitor the building using drones to ascertain its actual condition,” he said.

He added that the current traffic regulation would remain in force for a few more days, during which period the decision on the object’s status, mechanical properties and resistance would be made.

As the minister of construction I should not, nor it is my intention to, influence the experts to hastily to something which could prove wrong in a day or two, and we fully listen to what structural engineers are saying, who have shown top-level expertise during post-earthquake reconstruction, he said replying to the question on when the decision on the Vjesnik skyscraper’s fate will be made.

“When they speak their minds, trust that it will be safe for our fellow citizens to move through the area,” he stated, adding that inspection will be conducted when structural engineers allow entry into the building.

If firefighters are still not allowed to enter the object, then representatives of the Ministry cannot either. Only when they are granted permission to enter the building, experts will be able to determine the cause of the fire, he pointed out.

Plan was to completely renovate it, but then came the fire

When asked whether he sees state responsibility in neglecting the Vjesnik building, since the state is the majority owner, Bačić responded that the Republic of Croatia owns 66% of the 35,000-square-metre complex, together with five other legal persons and, according to the law, the co-owners appointed a building manager and the building had 24-hour protection.

The building is also insured against fire, and as co-owners we paid a high insurance premium precisely because we knew the building does not meet the basic requirements for construction works as public use buildings would today, and I believe we did everything what we were supposed to do, he noted.

“As the responsible minister of state assets, I suggested identifying strategic real estate in the Republic of Croatia, and among them I suggested resolving the status of Vjesnik. In the past few months, we commissioned an assessment of the entire Vjesnik complex by the High Appraisal Commission of the Republic of Croatia.

Before the fire, the Commission determined the value of the complex, after which I referred our Directorate to negotiate the purchase of the shares of other legal persons, since we were interested in completely renovating the complex and changing Zagreb’s visual identity. However, the fire has truly changed our plans,” Bačić clarified.

He also noted that today afternoon all co-owners will meet to talk about further status, but, he says, first it is necessary to see whether the object would be kept at all or demolished.

If experts say that the structure damaged by the fire can withstand renovation, then the object will be restored to a much better condition than before, and it will meet all the requirements for construction works, Minister Bačić announced.
 
Related news:

• Structural engineers: Vjesnik skyscraper still dangerous, no one can enter
• Fire in the Vjesnik skyscraper still not extinguished
• Minister Bačić called emergency meeting to determine further steps after the fire in Vjesnik skyscraper
• Fire in Zagreb's Vjesnik

 
Source: HINA

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