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The plans of the investment company Lords LB Asset Management to implement a large project of offices and apartments on the territory of the former Audėjo factory in Markučiai, Vilnius, have received criticism from both the city government and the community.
The government lacks the architectural character of the project, at that time the community of neighboring neighborhoods does not understand the call coexistence advantages of the concept. The promoters and architects of the project are reassured and affirm that the comments of the professionals will be taken into account and that the feasibility and benefits of the new concept for the city and its inhabitants are demonstrated through analysis and needs studies.
Developers: the project will definitely pay off
The subsidiary of the Special Fund Lords LB III, Vilnius City Projects, on the territory of the former Audėjo factory, in the area of 3 hectares, intends to build two 43.7 thousand. kv. meters of total area of 5-story office buildings and 25.7 thousand. kv. meters of total area of six 5-7-story apartment buildings, which would be equipped with more than 500 one- and three-bedroom apartments.
According to the concept of the project, most of the apartments – 452 – will not be for sale, but for long or short term rental. The remaining 56 apartments could be sold to permanent residents.
The project developers are convinced that a rapidly growing real estate development concept in the world, the so-called co-living like, where hotel services are provided in an apartment building, and common areas and services, such as housekeeping, are taken care of by the house manager, more reflecting the modern lifestyle in the city.
To criticism from skeptics that the hotel’s apartment buildings will eventually be sold, the developers respond that the complex will be indivisible, supervised and managed by a company offering office and apartment rental services.
“There is no possibility that this project will not work. If necessary, we will adjust the rental price so that our rental apartments are competitive. We have assessed the situation in the market, analyzed the context of the surrounding territories, therefore, in worst case scenario we will have lower rental income, ”said Giedrius Bernotas, Project Director of the City of Vilnius, in a public presentation of the project to the public last week.
Criticism of high car traffic
However, most questions and criticisms from future residents of the neighborhood and the surrounding community were received by the project developers regarding the number of parking spaces, their location, and future traffic flows.
In total, the complex will have more than 800 parking spaces, most of them underground, and an intelligent parking system will be installed, which will allow an intelligent and sustainable use of the spaces. For example, residents will be assigned 125 seats, but will be able to use more than 500 seats for office workers during non-business hours.
The promoters of the project are convinced that it is normal to allocate 125 parking spaces for 500 apartments, because the complex will be only 1.5 kilometers from the city center, there is public transport nearby.
Povilas Čepaitis, project manager of the architecture studio Unitectus, which designed the complex on behalf of the builder, says that the study carried out by the VGTU researchers evaluated how people’s habits will change, how many residents of the future quarter will travel on their own, public transport, how should the infrastructure change for.
“Based on the findings of this study, if the block’s main Manufaktūrū Street joins the Drujos Street traffic light intersection, the traffic flow would increase from the current maximum of 3,800 cars per hour to 5,100. According to the scientific study, it would be enough to service the entire area and projects of other developers “, – said P. Čepaitis at the meeting with the public
The city architect doesn’t want big ugly panels
Vilnius chief architect Mindaugas Pakalnis welcomes the development in the former industrial part of the capital, but lacks the architectural character of the complex.
“There is a lack of residential housing near the old town and the center, so projects like the multifunctional complex on Drujos street can be considered a positive phenomenon. But at the same time, it is very important that the conversion of the old industrial district taking place here corresponds to the general spirit and requirements of the changes taking place in Vilnius, ”M. Pakalnis told BNS.
“I would also like the houses designed here not to be quarterly, but to have individual architecture and not reminiscent of the old large panels, but instead form a vibrant part of the city with different functions and services,” he added.
The project developers believe that the architecture of the complex and even the choice of materials wanted to indirectly reflect the past of the industry that has existed here for centuries. However, they acknowledge that architecturally the project can still be improved, taking into account the future conclusions of the Vilnius Regional Council for Architecture.
The municipality of the capital intends to present the project to the City Council for evaluation. In a report distributed last week, M. Pakalnis stated that high expectations are set for this place: the project will be compared to nearby Paupis, so its architectural quality is very important, especially since it was created by a team of architects who he successfully designed many large objects in Vilnius.
According to M. Pakalnis, the authors of the project commented on the suitability of the floors of the first buildings for different functions and services, it is expected that pedestrians and cyclists will be given priority on the streets.
In addition, the municipality plans to negotiate the acquisition or lease of the project premises and install a kindergarten or other educational institutions there.
It has been announced that the Lords LB Asset Management Fund’s investments in Markučiai will reach 105 million. Here a multifunctional complex with administrative and residential neighborhoods will be built.
Vilnius City Projects owns most of the territory on Drujos Street sold by Audėjo in early 2016: it has 30 thousand. kv. meters of buildings, which housed a textile factory for furniture and a shop. His former manager, VPV, planned $ 60 million here. The Central Mall project has a value of one billion euros.
