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Compared to previous cost estimates, Biodom’s investment can be completed with approximately HUF 10 billion less money, but still, additional resources will be needed, Mayor Gergely Karácsony said on Thursday.
The Mayor announced that the Biodom Investment Inspection Report prepared by Enviroduna Kft., Which summarizes the tasks that must be performed to complete the project, has been completed.
The good news is that with responsible management, the project can be completed, but of course we will need additional resources. At the same time, we are able to complete Biodom’s investment with approximately 10 billion HUF less than what had previously been incurred during cost estimates.
– said Gergely Karácsony.
He added that the local government of the capital would like to discuss with the government at the October 15 meeting of the Budapest Public Development Council how the project, which has so far been implemented as a government investment, can be completed. “We have done the expert work necessary for this,” said the mayor, who hopes that there will be a common will between the capital and the government to end the investment.
Gergely Karácsony recalled that the Budapest Zoo’s investment in Biodom raised many questions. The Metropolitan Assembly decided in February to carry out a detailed analysis of the investment. As he said, the goal was to see clearly: why the costs had disappeared compared to previous drafts, how far the implemented investments had come and what needs to be done to make the investment complete.
Deputy Mayor Gábor Kerpel-Fronius spoke about the fact that, based on the report, they see very serious questions arise about the initiation of the investment and the possibility of controlling it. The National Tax and Customs Board is already investigating, but at the same time the city administration feels it is necessary to make a report on the issues raised, he said, adding that the work of the investigation committee of the local government of the capital continues. .
The report will be fully available to the public and will be published on the capital’s website.
Deputy Mayor Erzsébet Gy. Németh spoke about the fact that Biodom’s investment started around 12-15 billion guilders and at the end, according to the plans of the former zoo director, it would have been more than 65 billion guilders. According to the report, HUF 16.4 billion is still needed to complete the investment. Of this, 5.4 billion HUF is still available based on the grant agreement, and I would like to decide at the Public Development Council meeting on October 15 that the remaining 5.6 billion HUF from the non-construction of the Hermina Garage can be use for the investment of Biodóm. In addition to these, around HUF 5 billion are needed to complete the Biodom, and this is also expected from the government, as it is a state investment, from the government, said Erzsébet Gy. Németh.
He believes that the company looking at the investment and the city management see that Biodom can be opened in March 2024.
The report showed that we are on a forced path, there is really no decision from the capital city on the Biodom case. We simply need to complete this investment, and we will. Good quality and all inclusive.
The deputy mayor said, noting that the 2,500 cubic meter aquarium will bring in a variety of marine animals, but would also include sea cows and bonobos in the wild.
Erzsébet Gy. Németh also said that on September 30, the Budapest General Assembly decided to transform the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden from a budgetary institution into a commercial enterprise, the last of the country’s zoos, at the same time announcing the tender for the new director. general. According to them, this will be a step that will definitely increase transparency and efficiency on the part of the capital city. He also announced that the capital will spend hundreds of millions of guilders of its scarce resources next year to renovate the listed zoo.
Answering questions, Erzsébet Gy. Németh said the 10 billion difference in the planned completion amount of the investment is due to the fact that some works that are not necessary to open Biodom will be postponed. He mentioned as an example that the planned renovation of the 2.5 billion roller coaster is not necessary to open the Biodom. It will be renewed when available.
Said
the Biodome will not be inexpensive,
it will provide a particularly excellent visitor experience. On the fact that the city administration rejects the construction of the City Park, but hvg.hu wrote that according to the report, a hotel could be built on the site of the Hermina Garage, Erzsébet Gy. Németh said: the government has decided not to consider the underground garage necessary. In relation to the project, the hotel only appears as an opportunity in the material.
In this regard, Gergely Karácsony said that the zoo is located on the edge of City Park, “it is not part of the historic City Park”, and according to the report, this development could save approximately 1.5 billion guilders for taxpayers. In addition, he believed that they could provide a great opportunity for the development of tourism in Budapest, so it is suggested to consider it in consultation with the government.
(Top image: The Biodome at the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden on September 11, 2020.)
MTI / Zoltán Máthé)
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