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Its owner, Andrius Matuzas, referring to the progress of the maintenance works and the contribution of the city to cover part of the costs, admits that he would gladly undertake this project again.
Photo by Kaunas City Municipality / Andrius Matuzas in the renovated building on Laisvės Alley
According to a press release issued by the Kaunas City Municipality, the house marked No. 56 in Laisvleys Alley was built around 1870, but was last renovated almost three decades ago.
Falling plaster and cracked walls led the building’s owner, A. Matuz, director of the real estate company Idile Estate Services, to look for ways to restore the building’s historic appearance and protect visitors from potential threats.
According to him, there are indications in historical sources that there was once a hat sewing shop here, one of the few in Laisvės Alley. Currently, the first floor of the building houses the popular Georgian restaurant Mtevani and the poker club, and a 19-room guesthouse is being rebuilt on the second floor.
“Public-private partnerships are a very popular phenomenon in the world. We need each other: business, public sector and, conversely, public sector, a company whose initiatives and investments allow the economy to turn in a balanced way.
At the beginning of the year, my neighbor and I petitioned the city council to restore the building we had, and now the final work is being completed. No unnecessary “paperwork” – the process is smooth, easy and fast. I constantly felt the support of the Cultural Heritage Directorate of the municipality and the cost of the work also dropped significantly. We have shown with real actions that, by supporting each other, we can create something very beautiful, ”says A. Matuzas in the report.
Sensitive heritage area
The Kaunas Heritage Management Program is a financial tool that encourages the people of Kaunas to take care of the architectural values of the city that belong to them, to know and re-evaluate their property, and not to condemn it to extinction.
Kaunas City Municipality Photo / Renovated Building in Laisvės Alley
There are still a number of abandoned buildings in the city with dilapidated facades. Rather than paying a higher rate of property taxes, homeowners are encouraged to initiate maintenance work, and in return the city commits to a solid financial “injection.”
The result is a double benefit: the building manager has an attractive and safe object, and Kaunas further embellishes his face with facades that attract the attention of residents and visitors to the city.
According to the businessman, his work was developed in a highly sensitive area of heritage, so the contribution of specialists is of the utmost importance here. During the restoration of the building, the walls that had moved and cracked for a century were reinforced and the entire facade was plastered.
Specialists conducting polychrome investigations revealed the house’s layers of paint and restored the building’s historical color, and the beauty of the renovated facade was highlighted by specially installed exterior lighting throughout the building.
Typical façade elements of historicist architecture have also been restored: second-floor window openings with decorative windows, pilasters and sandals, balconies with authentic metal railings, and a profiled cornice cornice.
A. Matuzas estimates that the total amount of the building’s renovation and maintenance works is about 100,000. euros. Of these, 20 percent. awarded by the municipality of the city of Kaunas.
Invite to a remote seminar
The financial support provided by the city can go up to 50%. It is requested by both natural and legal persons managing cultural heritage assets and other structures throughout Kaunas. Partial financing is foreseen for the maintenance of the facades of the buildings, the adaptation to the needs of people with disabilities and the installation of decorative lighting. So far, more than 2.8 million have been allocated for this purpose in Kaunas. For this year 400,000 euros is planned.
Building owners or apartment building associations can request maintenance work until March 12 of this year. The requirements can be found here: bitly.com/paveldotvarkos-programa.
“We are concerned with the city’s old houses, unique interwar and wooden architecture, so we have been assisting Kaunas residents who understand the value of historic houses since the beginning of the heritage management program.
We are seeing both a growing number of apps and growing interest from citizens. It is inspiring because it is up to each one of us what we will leave for future generations. I think the document filling processes are often scary, but we are determined to help and advise everyone who wants to, ”said Saulius Rimas, Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage of Kaunas Municipality.
Those interested and with the intention of using the city’s heritage management program are invited to participate in the remote workshop “7th season of the heritage management program” on January 28 at 11 am. During it, the staff of the Department of Cultural Heritage will present the basic principles and answer all the most frequently asked questions.
You can see the presentation live here: bit.ly/paveldotvarka2021. Seats are limited.
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