The signing of the construction charter and the laying of the foundation stone officially marked the start of works on the social housing (POS) building in Lepoglava on 13 November. The charter was signed at a special ceremony by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Spatial Planning, Construction and State Property Branko Bačić, Mayor of the City of Lepoglava Željko Šoštarić, and Director of the Agency for Legal Transactions and Real Estate Intermediation (APN) Dragan Hristov, who, together with Varaždin County President Anđelko Stričak, embedded it in the foundations of the future multi-family building.
The future building will have 16 flats, with a net usable area of 1,159 square metres. It will be built by Core upravljanje d.o.o., and the building will comprise four storeys – a ground floor and three upper floors – along with associated external parking spaces. The planned construction deadline is 365 days.
Mayor Željko Šoštarić stated that 16 young families would create their home here and remain living in Lepoglava. The project began in 2020 when the Lepoglava City Council passed a decision to include the city in the socially supported housing programme (POS). Four years later, by a Government decision, the state land on which the building was planned was donated to the APN, and in the same year a preliminary agreement was signed between the City of Lepoglava and the APN regarding mutual rights and obligations, after which the preparation of project documentation was initiated.
Two public procurement procedures were conducted to select the construction contractor, but no contractor was selected in either. The Lepoglava City Council passed a decision obliging the city to cover the costs of arranging municipal infrastructure and to ensure connections to the municipal infrastructure free of charge. The City of Lepoglava, with the help of the APN and the state, secured the necessary land and infrastructure.
APN Director Dragan Hristov highlighted that the investment itself is worth €2.3 million, and that the APN conducted the public procurement procedures and secured incentive funds amounting to €600,000. The price per sold square metre is €2,104, but flat buyers will be able to submit a request to the APN for a refund of part of the tax, meaning the final price per square metre will be around €1,900.
Deputy Prime Minister Branko Bačić expressed satisfaction at the start of construction on the multi-family building where 16 young families will find their home. County President Anđelko Stričak said that in Varaždin County, during Prime Minister Plenković’s mandates, more than 30 kindergartens have been built or extended, single-shift teaching has been introduced in all schools, and a major cycle of investments in school sports halls has been launched, primarily in smaller communities. Among the investments is the construction of a single-section hall as part of the Kamenica Primary School in the area of the City of Lepoglava.
Stričak added that Varaždin County has around 70,500 jobs and only 1,600 unemployed people. Varaždin County was among the first to launch an affordable housing programme, prepare the necessary studies and conduct a survey. The survey showed that 38 per cent of young people still live with their parents, and 68 per cent of respondents stated that they would live in smaller or rural areas if they had good living conditions.
The foundation stone-laying ceremony was attended by Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Nevenka Cujzek, President of the Varaždin County Assembly Krunoslav Lukačić, President of the Lepoglava City Council Robert Dukarić, members of the City Council and other guests.
