After more than two decades of putting up a temporary boathouse in the marina area, Gdynia is planning changes. A new facility with boating facilities and a city square is to be built by 2027. This is one of the elements of the long-term development of the Maritime Downtown, a key area at the interface between the city and the water.
The areas of Gdynia's waterfornt are changing, albeit slowly. On attractive plots of land with direct access to the waters of the Gdansk Bay, the Morskie Śródmieście (Marine Downtown ) is being developed - an ambitious vision of developing the center toward the waterfront. This is the part of the city whose landscape is dominated by the Sea Towers, among others. Although visions of waterfront development have been floated for years, only recently have they taken concrete shape.
The plans include the final - and, because of its public functions, much-awaited - stage of the Gdynia Waterfront project, which is being built on a grand scale (we write about what has already been created here). This piece of the city will gain a cultural pavilion, a central square, and a multiplex cinema will return (the former Gemini Center building located here has been demolished). Two hotels will be built: the first, with 160 rooms and a spa, and the second: with a conference center and 142 rooms. Another example of the investment boom in the waterfront area are hotel buildings with services, a swimming pool and spa planned for Gdynia's marina and Kosciuszko Square(read more).
Gdynia Waterfront and the vicinity of Sea Towers
Vastint
In addition, the 1970s-era sailing club buildings, located between Jana Pawła II Avenue and the yacht basin, have recently disappeared from the landscape of Gdynia's center. And here a new development will grow: investment apartments and the headquarters of Gdynia's clubs and infrastructure for sailors (we write about the investment here).
Bosmanat in Gdynia. 25 years of makeshift
The area around the Marina Gdynia marina is also set to change its face. The boatswain's quarters located here, although in the tourist heart of coastal Gdynia, is not aesthetically pleasing. It is a small building, erected 25 years ago only "for a while." The city has been declaring for years that the area should become more attractive and fit in with the character of Downtown Maritime.
The investment in 2024, i.e. still in the previous term, was announced by the previous mayor of Gdynia - Wojciech Szczurek. At the August City Council Session, councilors voted on a new local plan for the area. The draft calls for a sports function and a public city square. In addition, the plan clearly specifies that facilities such as a boathouse and facilities for sailors, including hangars, are to be located there. The buildings - depending on the zone - can reach up to 9 meters and 14 meters with the possibility of raising the height to 18 meters.
This is what the now outdated concept of the boathouse presented by the team of the previous mayor of Gdynia looks like
gdyniasport.pl
Today's bosmanat, which is a one-story building in the marina, was built in 2000 as a temporary building, points out Łukasz Piesiewicz, vice-chairman of the Gdynia City Council's Spatial Planning and Strategy Committee. - Over the following years, the building continued to serve its function.
Design and build. Will it be a successful project?
Officials explain that the illustrative visualizations still presented by Wojciech Szczurek's team are already outdated. Who will design the facility?
The city is preparing to commission the development of a Functional and Utility Program (PFU), which will make it possible to apply for funding from the central budget. The PFU will be the basis for announcing a tender procedure for a contractor who will carry out this investment under the "design and build" formula. - informs AiB Tomasz Złotoś, a spokesman for the Gdynia City Hall.
The construction is estimated to cost about PLN 30 million. The city will seek funding from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism. The goal is for the building to be completed by the 2027 World Sailing Championships. - the largest sports event organized in Gdynia in recent years.
