The Stocznia Centrum Gdansk company wants to build 340 apartments, a dozen commercial units and so-called associated investments in the Young Town in Gdansk under the "lex developer" speculative law. The project, which was prepared by JEMS Srchitekci studio, is to refer to industrial buildings. City councilors will decide on its fate.
The area of the Drewnica peninsula and the former Schichau Shipyard has been in the hands of the company Stocznia Centrum Gdansk since 2016. The attractive plots of land lie in the post-shipyard area in the Young City district, which is filling up with new development after years of stagnation. The developer on the 15,000-square-meter land wants to erect two sequences of residential buildings with 340 apartments and a dozen commercial units. The Warsaw-based JEMS Architekci studio, which has been working with the investor on the concept of developing the former Gdansk Shipyard site for 7 years, is responsible for the project. The urban layout is to be based on the historical layout of the former shipyard's technological roads, and the architecture is to refer to industrial buildings.
View of Popieluszko Street
SCG, design: JEMS Architekci
"Lex developer" in the Young City.
The current plan, however, allows for the construction not of apartments, but of commercial development (although the Gdansk Study, passed in 2018, already envisaged residential development), so the developer wants to take advantage of the "lex deweloper" housing spec. Introduced in 2018, the speculative law, which was originally criticized by many local governments, including the city of Gdansk, allows residential developments to be carried out in areas for which there is no local zoning plan, or in situations where a plan exists but does not provide for residential development. However, the condition is so-called "accompanying investments" - that is, complementary facilities such as schools, recreational areas, road infrastructure or public spaces.
This is what the Drewnica peninsula may look like. View of Narzędziowców Street
SCG, design: JEMS Architekci
The fate of the SCG investment will be weighed at the next session of the Gdansk City Council - March 27. The councilors will vote on a resolution allowing Gdansk Mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz to sign an agreement with the investor on the implementation of accompanying investments. This is the first step. If the councilors give the green light, the investor will be able to submit an application, which must meet the requirements of the housing speculation law. Only in the next vote will the City Council decide whether to approve the housing project itself.
Park renovation, street reconstruction
What exactly would the developer implement besides the apartments as part of the so-called "accompanying investments"?
- The construction of a new gymnasium and the modernization of teaching facilities at Elementary School No. 57 at 8 Velvet Street.
- Revitalization of the southern part of Steffens Park (area of about 2 hectares).
- Construction of an elevator at the Yellow Overpass.
- Develop a section of the road strip at Fr. Popieluszko and Main Street, where greenery, a sidewalk and a bicycle path would be built.
- Reconstruct Narzędziowców Street on the section from Jana z Kolna Street to ks. Popiełuszki Street.
Visualization of the new gymnasium at Elementary School No. 57 on 8 Velvet Street.
SCG, design: JEMS Architekci
Last year, an additional, optional procedure carried out prior to the formal submission of an application under the housing speculative law was introduced in Gdansk by an order of the mayor. At that time, an interdisciplinary working team was set up to analyze the concept of a housing project and provide investors with guidelines and comments. Investors who have joined this non-mandatory pre-submission process also undertake the Gdańsk Social Dialogue. The process is led by the Office of the City Architect, which holds meetings with residents about the scale, scope and type of investment.
Assuming that we receive the City Council's approval of the accompanying investment agreement in March, and a location decision in the fall, the implementation of the investment can begin in spring 2027 and be completed within 36 months, declares Krzysztof Sobolewski, president of SCG.
