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♦ Brasov could have a metropolitan train, in a project of 400-500 million euros ♦ The Regional Hospital of Brasov amounts to 600 million euros ♦ Brasov’s industrial renaissance could continue to attract investors involved in the “green” economy.
The Brasov City Council is preparing investment projects that would total 1,500 million euros, in the context in which the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) provides a historic opportunity, which the new administration wants to materialize in a renaissance both in economic terms , as well as the vision of the quality of life, explained Allen Coliban, mayor of Braşov, during the show Invest in Romania!, carried out by ZF in association with CEC Bank.
“In total, the projects that we are discussing and on which we are working, that we are preparing, exceed 1,500 million euros and without the PNRR opportunity it would have been almost impossible to think that they could be financed. They would have been ideas in a drawer and I would have waited a long time for funding. That is why we now need to be very active in the area of project preparation and this is the main focus, the issue on which we focus our efforts, that is, how we will be able to attract these funds. ”
The new mayor of Brasov has an integrated industrial renaissance plan, which includes both the transportation component and the human capital component. Out of a total of 1,500 million euros, a metropolitan train could represent a project of between 400 and 500 million euros.
“A railway infrastructure is capable of transporting more people than any other road, such as trolleybuses or buses, whether we call it a tram or a metro. (…) Now we are preparing the infrastructure for the next 5-10 years and we have talked with the Ministry of Transport about the urban train. It is absurd not to do such a project in Brasov, where we have an excellent density of rail infrastructure in the metropolitan area. If we complement this infrastructure with other means of rail, tram, metro, to link all the important axes of the city, we would have a rail transport map that can compete with any metro infrastructure. Whether or not we will do these things we will know after we have the studies to support such projects. ”
Normally, programs through European funds do not cover such investments, so the PNRR provides a unique opportunity, including a rail transport component.
Allen Coliban recalls that Brasov has an industrial tradition, built on decades of work and specialization, but to continue this tradition, the administration must follow the directions in which the industry is developing today.
“Where will Brasov be in this game? What role can we play? Given that today we have some deficiencies in the infrastructure, we need to think about some steps forward. We do not have the airport yet, but we will. We do not have roads, but we will have them. All these projects are opportunities. (…) We have an important infrastructure in which Brasov excels, namely the railway. We are the most important railway hub after Bucharest and there are important industries whose products are suitable for railway transport. I cannot give many details, but we are currently in the process of identifying and purchasing land to benefit from this access to the railroad, and then offer them in a bidding package to strategic investors, in green energy, with a role in the transition to green transport. , everything that can be produced in Brasov ”.
He explained that the mayor’s office has already taken the first steps towards the industrial reactivation plan, understanding that an investor has more complex needs than traditional industrial platforms, especially when Brasov has certain strengths that it can rely on. As for the type of investors the new administration is targeting, they could come from industries such as automotive or aeronautics.
“I look at the tradition of Brasov and I think about the fact that it had an industry of trucks, tractors, bearings. We have directions even now but the others less and I think that in the context in which many local administrations buy and have funds for the purchase of electric buses, why not have an investor to produce electric buses in Brasov? We have a tradition and a specialized workforce in the aeronautical area, which we see has been democratized. We started from drones to light means of transport, why not have such an investor in Brasov? If we refer to the area of energy and storage, it is a very dynamic field, it changes day by day and we could be a key player ”.
Another important factor in the mix necessary for Brasov’s economic renaissance is the educational component, where the mayor’s office wants to continue progress in terms of dual education, but also has discussions to open a hotel school.
“We are in talks with investors to open a decision-making school. It is another important vertical of the local economic environment. The tourism sector needs a workforce that not only has basic qualifications and student jobs, but also highly qualified If we talk about the hospitality industry, we are talking about an industry that has degrees and postgraduate degrees. All this should exist in Brasov. “
At the same time, Allen Coliban wants the city with more than 300,000 inhabitants to become one of the main university centers and is in talks with the University of Transylvania about it.
“I think we need ambition in university education, so that Brasov becomes a top-level university pole, that is, the 5 best national universities. This work can be obtained in several directions, through investments and expanding the offer of the University of Transylvania, but also through an opening to universities outside of Brasov. Whether we are talking about prestigious universities in Romania or abroad, let them know that in Brasov they can start a base and have a partner in the City Hall of Brasov in this regard. “
In terms of health, the Regional Hospital of Brasov could represent some 600 million euros of the total of 1,500 million euros announced by the mayor at the ZF fair. In addition to the 900-bed hospital, the local administration is already analyzing and preparing the second phase of the project.
“We have assumed the coordination of this great project, the new Regional Hospital, which will solve the emergency medicine part. The problem is that in Brasov, if we look only at this top of the pyramid, at this regional hospital, we are left with other buildings that are inappropriate and we are still looking for a solution for certain beds. Therefore, in the feasibility studies for this 900-bed regional hospital, we will add the second vase, which will solve the problem of the other remaining pavilions. (…) It is good to think in advance and be with these steps, so that Brasov has a medical city in the area of the ring road. It is a modern concept that many administrations in Europe have. “
Another important component of the quality of life is the quality of the environment, and in terms of pollution the city council has plans in several directions, starting from an integrated plan with selective collection systems located near blocks instead of current platforms – a project 15 million – and with an integrated plan for the use of air quality data, based on the restoration of the Integrated Air Quality Plan (PICA).
“We need to develop local policies that are on the green transportation line, but that need to be duplicated with an industrial pollutant relocation plan. In the current air quality management plan, the main source is industrial pollutants, but the plan it has no measures to address this problem.
The mayor explained that the administration still has work to do in the area of authorizations and approvals. “It is normal and my call is for moderation, patience and a little understanding of the context. We currently have a General Urban Plan (PUG) in preparation. There are many problems with the Zonal Urban Plans (PUZs) that are in force and it would be a shame not to do this PUG correctly, since everything that the development of Brasov means will be affected by its final form. What I am saying now is that there is a lot of pressure, for example, on the residential complexes in the hills of Brasov. There has been a lot of public reaction in recent years, on the other hand I think we can hope to have all the necessary studies. It does not mean that we stop development, but it is necessary to stop a certain type of development that has irreversibly affected Brasov in the last 15-20 years ”.
At the same time, Colibán declared that the depoliticization of the urban planning and landscaping technical commission has begun, a process that lasted several months. In addition, the new administration wants to increase the degree of digitization in public services.
“I want Brasov to come to the moment when we deliver urban planning certificates online in a few days and not stay for months and have responses to citizen complaints.”
The mayor explained that in recent years Brasov’s budget has been below 200 million euros per year, and that for this year the budget is still under debate in the Government and there is no final information at the moment. Of these 200 million euros, less than 25% is an investment budget. However, Coliban has already submitted a request to the government for some 30 million lei for the completion of ongoing projects.
“We are talking about the Fartec passage, which has been in operation for many years. We want to finish it and it can be ready by July of this year. We are also talking about the thermal rehabilitation of 10 blocks in a larger project that includes 29 blocks. Also, on the rehabilitation of a historical monument that lasts for a long time and is located in the pedestrian zone, the old Banco Sajón, a building that we hope to finish this year.
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