Bucharest City Hall wants to spend EUR 19.6 million to upgrade and revamp its former headquarters, a historic building located on Regina Elisabeta Boulevard in the capital city, according to a project to be discussed by the General Council of Bucharest (CGMB).

The almost EUR 20 million, without VAT, needed to upgrade the old headquarters of the City Hall will come from the municipality’s budget and construction work will take two years, according to representatives of the municipality, quoted by local news organization Mediafax.

The project includes the conversion of the building’s loft into office space with a total area of 2,000 sqm, setting-up and equipping an archive in the basement and the development of a General Council hall that meets European standards. Also under this project, architectural work will be carried out, the interiors will be restored, the existing facilities will be improved, while the external facade elements will also be restored, given the historic value of the building.

The feasibility study, made by Ambo Pro Design SRL, proposes the construction of an underground car park on three levels, with a total of 97 parking places.

In mid-May 2008, the General Council of Bucharest approved an investment of over EUR 10.5 million, without VAT, at a rate of RON 3.5 per EUR, to consolidate the old headquarters of the City Hall. In late-February this year, the CGMB approved the draft decision on increasing the initial amount by another EUR 7.6 million, the money being needed as a result of supplementing the work that was initially carried out.

The Bucharest City Hall moved its headquarter to Splaiul Independentei Boulevard in March 2010, during the restoration and consolidation work on the building located on Regina Elisabeta boulevard. The building was erected between 1906 and 1911 based on a project of the Romanian architect Petre Antonescu, who also designed the famous Arc de Triomphe in Bucharest.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Wikipedia Commons)