Downtown Area of Sopron to be Renewed with the Help of EU Funding17 July 2009
Sopron’s historic downtown will be renewed over the next two years with the help of EU funding amounting to 600 million HUF. Among others, the Fire Tower, the emblematic monument of the “loyal” town will be strengthened and a view of the Roman ruins will be ensured by fully renewing the main square within the framework of the investment costing over 1 billion HUF. The assistance contract of this investment was signed in Sopron on 16 July.
Urban rehabilitation programmes play a key role in the use of EU development funding. These are important investments, i.e.: beyond the way they boost tourism and the local economy and make specific towns and cities more attractive, they also make settlements across the country more liveable. A total of 24.5 billion HUF was allocated for urban rehabilitation programmes within the framework of the 2004-2006 National Development Plan. During the 2007-2010 period alone, 8 times this amount, i.e. nearly 200 billion HUF can be invested in the renewal of settlements in various regions within the framework of the New Hungary Development Plan.
Decisions have already been made in the case of a significant part of this framework. Within the framework of NHDP, so far 196 applicants approved funding have been granted 9.2 billion HUF for small-scale urban developments; regional calls allocated a framework of 10 billion HUF were announced in the same theme in summer. From among the applications submitted in the theme of social urban rehabilitation, so far, 20 projects applying for funding amounting to 11.3 billion HUF have proceeded through to the second round, whilst 78 projects geared towards function-enhancing urban rehabilitation and applying for funding amounting to 55.9 billion HUF have proceeded through to the second round assessment phase. The rehabilitation of cities of county rank will be implemented within the framework of priority projects. First round decisions on the approval of funding have so far been made in the case of 16 projects, whilst several projects have successfully passed the second round and are now at the contracting stage.
The project targeting the renewal of the historic downtown of Sopron has also reached this stage. The citizens of Sopron envisage strengthening the cultural, as well as the economic and commercial functions of the downtown area by autumn 2011 within the framework of this investment earmarked a total budget of 1.078 billion HUF to be implemented with the help of EU funding amounting to 600 million HUF. The emblematic Fire Tower of the town will be strengthened and a 644 square metre museum information and visitor centre will be set up as a part of the developments to be implemented on a total area of 237 hectares. The latter serves to exhibit the Roman gate, as well as the walls of the settlement dating back to the Árpád era and the Middle Ages erected on top of the Roman ruins. The pavement surface of the main square of Sopron will also be renewed on an area of nearly 5,000 square metres, following which it will be possible to view the Amber Road and the ruins of the Roman Forum. Várfal promenade (the promenade adjacent to the castle walls) will be renewed and the traditional portals, medieval guild signs, gates and courtyards of Sopron will be excavated, hence strengthening the tarnished townscape of Sopron.