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KATOWICE |
The revitalization of post – industrial sites in Katowice (Poland)
In the revitalization process in Poland are involved central, regional and local institutions. “The executive program of a II State Ecological Policy for the years 2002-2010”, accepted by the Cabinet in 2002, as an investment activity includes complex reclamation of the old dumping ground and post – industrial areas.
The revitalization of post – industrial sites includes a lot of connected activities which should be realized by different institutions:
- the manager of the polluted area who is obliged to reclaim the site by prime costs
- local authorities, responsible for spatial harmony and planning the sites functions
- district authorities responsible for preservation and capable to take an administrative decision on reclamation
- marshal office being in charge of regional development
- Treasury responsible for all the damages caused by the state owned companies and as a body in charge of spatial and ecological policy
Nowadays the process of reclamation defined as an improvement of a chemical condition of the ground and the area formation with its procedures is regulated by two documents: the Act of April 27th, 2001 - the Environmental Protection Law and the Act of February, 3rd, 1995 on the Protection of the Agricultural and Forest Land. The current law does not adequately regulate the matters regarding the post-industrial areas. Law regulations regard only soil and land pollution and do not take into consideration of old stores for industrial and municipal waste as well as problems of devastated technical infrastructure and post – industrial buildings. In this time a project of Revitalization Act is being prepared.
A document for coordination of revitalization activities in the field of devastated sites (inclusive post-industrial areas) is the Government Programme for Post-Industrial Sites, which was prepared by the Ministry of Environment and accepted by the Polish Government on April 27th, 2004. It will be realised 2004-2010.
Pilot activities will cover the regions, where the industrial concentration was the highest and which were affected with structural changes during the last ten years. It especially regards chosen post – coal mining, metal ores and post- metallurgy sites and other industrial branches, which are burdensome for environment in the regions of the Upper and Lower Silesia (the Silesia, Lower Silesia and Małopolska Voiwodship). In the Upper Silesia there have been carrying out some activities, which aim at preparing inventory and valorisation of post-industrial sites. Step one covers preparing initial inventory and simple valorisation of the sites. Step two covers preparing detailed inventory of chosen (priority) sites and their total valorisation.
The initial inventory covers: kind of site (from a list), its address and surface, legal status, condition of activities in the fields of land reclamation, existing infrastructure, general land development, access to transport (communication) system, current using site, using, which is the result of special plan (the Study of Conditioning and Direction of the Physical Management), kind of industry, which caused degradation, waste existing in the site, information what chemical compounds cause pollutions, observed or alleged influence of pollutions, existing or expected deformation of surface.
Tasks to be coordinated on the level of the Voiwodship:
Establishing a Voiwodship Base of Post-Industrial Sites (Scheme 1), which covers:
- 1.1. Sites inventory
Valorisation and classification of sites - Formulating strategic goals and regional policy regulations in the field of revitalisation of post-industrial sites
- Creating regional, hierarchical base for revitalisation projects
- Creating an experience platform as the result of realisation of pilot projects.
- Creating a regional “operator”
- Creating a regional audit unit
The City of Katowice submitted 30 sites to the Voiwodship batabase of post-industrial sites. In the most cases the sites do not belong to the City. Post-coal mining and post - metallurgy sites dominate in Katowice as the sites to be revitalised:
- post – industrial site after the liquidated coal – mine “Katowice” (part of the site is to be used as a new seat of the Silesian Museum),
- heading after Carbon argillaceous schist (the Reconstruction and Building Company “Bytom” – land reclamation is being carried out)
- post – industrial site of the coal-mine “Katowice Kleofas” and coal – mining dumping ground (Building of a centre for commerce, service and recreation - “Silesia City Center”)
- mine waste dump in Katowice – Kostuchna, area of main pit shafts (the coal – mine “Murcki” plans creating a park for recreation and sport “Południe”)
- post – industrial site after a former zinc – steelworks (“Silesia” join-stock company belonging to the Impexmetal group - land reclamation is being carried out)
- post – industrial site devastated by coal – mining and metallurgy activities in Katowice-Szopienice-Borki, surface – about 140 ha, geological und engineering documentation is being collected
- post – industrial site devastated by coal – mining and metallurgy activities in Katowice-Zawodzie, surface – about 56 ha, geological und engineering documentation is being collected
Taking into consideration the need for complex reconstruction of Katowice city-centre in order to create modern public spaces and to implement a new image of Katowice, on July 26th, 2004 the Katowice City Council make the resolution to prepare the “Revitalisation Programme for the City of Katowice”. A special team for revitalisation issues was appointed (Zespół Zadaniowy), which consists of representatives of the City Development Department, the Housing Department, the Town Planning, Architecture and Building Department and the Team for European Funds. The main task of the team is the preparation of a Programme project and its submission to the especially appointed Revitalisation Council, which will give an opinion on it.
It is assumed, that the Revitalisation Council, as an external opinion body, will consist of representatives of different milieus functioning in Katowice, who are involved and interested in question of revitalisation.
The Programme is also one of the conditions to be fulfilled by consideration of application for project co- financing from the European Regional Development Fund in the frame of the operation “Devastated municipal, post-industrial and post-military sites”. Co-financing will be given to such the projects in the operation, which will enable devastated sites returning their lost social and economic functions, which will inspire development of new forms of economic activities, which will have an influence for increasing economic and investment attractiveness of the site covered by the project, which will generate new places of work, which will increase tourism and cultural potential and in the same time take care of natural environment, which is condition of sustainable social and economic development.
Following subjects co-participate in the revitalisation activities in the City of Katowice:
- the City Development Department – as coordinator, and as department responsible for spatial planning and provision of general architecture and town planning vision;
- the Housing Department – responsible for housing, knocking outs and providing substitute premises;
- the Team for European Funds – responsible for gaining European funds for undertakings planned;
- The Historical Monuments Conservator’s Office – caring for cultural heritage preservation and responsible for historical monuments protection;
- The Geodesy and Property Management Department – responsible for matters linked to property ownership;
- The Environment Protection Department – responsible for revitalization of post-industrial sites in the field of physical land reclamation;
According to the environment protection law to a Poviat Starost, as the environment protection body, there is submitted an application for negotiating land reclamation conditions, in which there are identified: the land requiring reclamation, functions performed by the earth’s surface requiring the reclamation, the planned range and method of the reclamation as well as the date of its completion. The agreement is concluded by way of a decision that determines the range, the method and the date of reclamation completion. Furthermore, according to the Act of Farmland and Forest Land – the decisions regarding the reclamation and development, made by the Starost, determine the degree of limitation or depreciation of the land utility value, the person in charge of the land reclamation as well as the direction and the reclamation completion date, and recognition of the land reclamation to be completed.
The following investments concerning revitalization of post-industrial sites in Katowice are regarded as the most important (and the most advanced) building undertakings:
- “Silesia City Center” , 111 Chorzowska Street (under construction)
http://www.silesiacitycenter.com.pl
BEFORE REVITALISATION
AFTER REVITALISATION
Investment location
The investment will be located in Katowice, in the area of Chorzowska and Ściegiennego Streets. The distance to the Centre of Katowice City is approx. 1.3 – 1.5 km in the south-east direction.
Land development (the present condition)
The investment will be situated on the premises of the former Coal-Mine of “KLEOFAS” and it will cover the area of approx. 30 ha. Currently, this place is occupied by some objects of industrial and administrative functions which for the most part are intended to be demolished. An asphalt road crosses the area of the designed investment as well as partly hardened access roads to objects that have no longer existed. In the north-west and north-east parts of the area under discussion there is dumping ground of mine waste (barren rock) reclaimed on the surface that forms spoil-heaps. The whole area is covered by an old, mainly underground technical infrastructure that will be subject to liquidation except some transit networks ( the 110 kV overhead power network, the mean pressure gas grid and the heat distribution network of high parametres).
In the area of the aforementioned investment there are trees diverse in terms of age. The trees arrangement is irregular. There are no plantings that would constitute nature monuments.
The natural layout of the land underwent a complete transformation during constructing the nearby coal mine. The highs have been shaped as a result of post-mining waste disposal and the lows as a result of work making the land accessible to the railway or of mine-shaft building. In the consequence of industrial transformation the present surface features are deprived of scenery values.
The subject of investment
The center will consist of: a hypermarket, shop, restaurant and fast food restaurant networks, a multicinema, a bowling alley and a fitness studio. Around the main auditorium there will be constructed parking lots and a new road system connecting the investment site to local roads including the connection via DTŚ (the trans-regional highway) with the motorway A4, which connects cities of Berlin, Wrocław, Katowice, Kraków and Lvov within a transeuropean network.
Historic objects of the former “Kleofas” Coal-Mine will be blended into the Center building. The architectural project anticipates restoration of historic buildings – the former coal mine remains, a change of their use as well as locating them at the central point – in front of the entrance to the new object. Due to this solution there will come into being a specific market square with little cafés, restaurants and shops while the mine-shaft tower will become a symbol of the new center. Around the Center and the parking lots there will arise greenfields with a party use of plantings existing in the investment area. The target plan anticipates bringing greenery in the area of the parking lots. Planting decorative trees and bushes is anticipated too. In the consequence of the investment implemantation an ordery arrangement of the currently devastated post-industrial (post-mining) site. The first part of the investment involving construction of an object performing commercial and entertainment functions with the so called “foodcourt” will cost approx. € 100 mln and it will have been completed by the year 2005. The next stages of the project implementation will comprise: construction of a housing estate, office buildings and other multifunctional objects. The cost of the entire investment implemented at the four stages will total approx. € 600 mln.
Ownership state
The investment area involves a few dozen of sites which are owned by the Treasury and to which the investor has the right of perpetual lease.
Site balance
- the area of the site: approx. 30 ha
- the area of the designer Center building development: 74.615 m2
- the area of the existing building for adaptation: 276 m2
- the hardened surface for vehicular traffic: 83.059 m2
- sidewalks, pedestrian walks: 23 176 m2
- the existing and plantem greenery: 81.226 m2
- the parking space: 2.623 places
2. “Makro Cash and Carry” Wholesale Centre , ul. Pukowca – the investment realized
Location:
The west part of Katowice – Załęże
Site Arrangement:
The “Makro” Centre is situated on the area of a former mine waste dump. The process of storing post – mining waste on the mentioned area was started in the 50 – ties. At the beginning the waste was stored in the after clay pit (the clay was extracted for the local brickyard), ignoring the law regulations on fire protection. Then the area was being reclaimed by arranging the ground into sheets and making them hard.
About the investment:
The main part of the whole investment is a one-floor building (dimensions:110 x 107 m). In front of the building there is a car park for approximately 1000 cars. Near the centre there is a patrol station, car service and a car wash. The surrounding is covered with grass and dotted with trees.
The owners:
The area belongs to the Treasury but it is used by Katowice Mining Holding. Now it is rented to the investor.
The area details:
The whole area – 8 ha
The buildings sites - 15 643m2
The pavements - 45 634 m2
The green sites - 15 038 m2