Renewal of Cities Within the Framework of the New Hungary Development Plan27 November 2009
The assistance contract underpinning the urban rehabilitation of Kaposvár and Nyíregyháza has been signed.
The assistance contract underpinning the functional extension and urban development of two cities of county rank, namely, Kaposvár and Nyíregyháza, was signed on 26 November. Funding amounting to approximately 270 billion HUF has been made available for urban rehabilitation during the 2007-2013 period within the framework of the New Hungary Development Plan. From this funding, projects approved by means of tendering and priority projects are eligible to receive EU co-financing amounting to approximately 200 billion HUF over the 2007-2010 period. This funding is nearly 8 times more than the amount allocated for urban rehabilitation within the framework of NDP I, which was equivalent to 24.5 billion HUF.
Cities of county rank, as well as Budapest are eligible to implement urban rehabilitation priority projects geared towards extending functions and implementing social developments within the framework of these priority projects. Over the approximately 1.5 years that has lapsed since the announcement of tender components, major planning work has been taking place in cities of county rank, as an outcome of which the action plans of 20 urban rehabilitation priority projects aiming to implement functional extensions have so far been developed, representing preliminary funding demands amounting to a total of 27 billion HUF and an envisaged total budget of over 43 billion HUF.
The urban rehabilitation and functional extension of the Town Centre of Kaposvár will be implemented with the help of EU funding amounting to 1.1 billion HUF. The objective of this project relates to boosting the downtown economy and luring a higher number of visitors to the area. To achieve this, terraces will be set up in front of shops and restaurants, cafés and other catering units in a part of the pedestrian zone, new retail stores and shops offering various services will be opened and business investment promotion activities will also be given a boost. The objective of this project equally extends to include ensuring modern parking conditions aimed at increasing pedestrian traffic, renewing community spaces and public elements with a downtown ambiance, as well as enlivening the cultural scene in the downtown precinct. The existing pedestrian street will be extended within the framework of the rehabilitation of the town centre. A two-level parking lot will be constructed underneath the Town Hall, concurrently to which the surrounding area will also be transformed.
The integrated functional extension and development of squares in the downtown precinct can get underway in Nyíregyháza with the help EU funding amounting to over 1.8 billion HUF. This project consists of several, mostly inter-connected components. A customer service centre will be set up, the external lighting of the Calvinist Church will be renewed, the historic orthodox building will be externally renewed, the pavement along Zrínyi Ilona Street (the pedestrian street) will be replaced and shop-fronts will also be renewed. The building housing the Wedding Hall and the Birth Registry and its courtyard will also be renewed.
Resolving traffic organisation-related problems will also commence within the framework of this project, which implies setting up traffic lights at intersections, constructing bicycle lanes and reconstructing footpaths. Fountains will be set up, parks will be made more attractive, the square in front of the Synagogue will be renewed, the pavement on Luther Square will be replaced, trees will be planted, the facade and roof structure of Nyírvíz Palace will be renewed and the facade of Skála Department Store will also be renewed. The renewal of the market hall on Búza Square will take place during the second phase of this project.