Rijeka Mayor Iva Rinčić announced on Thursday, during a city council meeting, that the City of Rijeka will soon file a criminal complaint with the Croatian Office for the Suppression of Corruption and organised crime (USKOK) against former mayor Vojko Obersnel, relating to the construction project of the garage on Klobučarićev trg.
The announcement was made in response to a question from council member Marina Račić of the Centar party. At that moment, Rinčić did not present specific allegations from the announced complaint, nor did she clarify the nature of the suspicions regarding irregularities linked to the project; further details were promised for a later discussion on this agenda item.
The underground "Stari grad" garage beneath Klobučarićev trg, managed by the company Best in parking, has been at the centre of attention since authorised engineer Prof. Dr. Sc. Davor Grandić from the Rijeka Faculty of Civil Engineering determined that the structure shows serious damage, with the upper slab in a state preceding collapse. Consequently, on 25 May this year, Rinčić ordered the complete closure of the square, stating that she would act "without calculation" on matters of citizen safety.
Problems with the garage's structure were documented as early as 2012. The city negotiated repairs with the garage owner throughout 2025, and in November of that year, a project specification based on Grandić's load analysis was delivered to the owner. The owner lodged an objection in February this year, deeming the prescribed loads excessive and costly for the future repairs. According to Rinčić, the city has not received any statement, timeline for repairs, or confirmation of the engagement of a designer from the owner since then.
