596 applications received for lifts and building facade upgrades

(Hina) - A total of 596 applications have been received under public calls for lift installations and building facade renovations, Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Minister Branko Bačić said on Friday. Of these, 480 applications concern lifts and 116 facade renovations.

Zagreb accounted for the largest number of applications for lift installations, with 236. It was followed by Split with 76 and Rijeka with 26. There were 21 applications from Pula, 14 from Karlovac, 13 each from Velika Gorica and Vinkovci, and 12 each from Osijek and Slavonski Brod.

The average cost of installing a lift is almost €115,000. The state has allocated €2 million for this year and will cover 33% of eligible installation costs. For an application to be considered, private individuals must own more than 50% of the building's co-ownership shares, the building must have at least three floors, or fewer if a person with a disability lives there, and a main lift installation project must have been prepared. There must also be the consent of a majority of co-owners and funding secured for their share of the costs. Priority will be given to local authorities that have set aside funds for co-financing.

Zagreb, Slavonski Brod and Pula are contributing 50% of the total cost of lift installations, while Split is contributing 40%.

A total of 116 applications were submitted for facade renovations, 87 of them from Zagreb alone.

The average cost of renovating a facade is almost €269,000, while the state has allocated €3 million for this year. Local authorities are required to contribute one-third of the cost, with the state and co-owners each covering another third. The scheme applies only to buildings that are protected cultural heritage or located within protected cultural and historical areas.

Every application will be assessed, and these public calls will be issued every year, Bačić said. Decisions on the allocation of funds are expected to be adopted by the end of this year.

The public calls for both lift installations and facade renovations exceeded the ministry's expectations. It had allocated €5 million for the two schemes, but another €22 million would be needed to fund all eligible applications, the minister said.

"We have already begun the procedure at the ministry to secure additional funding during the budget revision, in line with the ministry's financial capacity, and we will secure the remaining funds next year," the minister said.

A total of €106 million has been allocated for the energy renovation of public buildings, while 432 project proposals were submitted under a separate public call. The aim is to achieve annual savings of at least 50% in heating energy, 30% in primary energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Here too, demand exceeded expectations: the 432 projects would require €531.5 million, compared with the €106 million available.

Minister Bačić also presented a draft architectural policy for Croatia for the next seven-year period, which is being put out for public consultation. The document aims to bring together different sectors at national level, establish quality criteria and ensure that investment, particularly public investment, creates long-term value for people, the environment and the built and wider physical space.

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