The Vidzeme market, which has been completely abandoned, is expected to be restored within 4 years

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In its report, which is scheduled to be viewed at the committee meeting on Monday, June 11, RCT points out that in order to arrange and further develop the Vidzeme market area, it is necessary to dismantle two buildings – a trade pavilion in the market square and a car wash.

In order to do this, in the period from June to September, RCT plans to carry out a procurement for the dismantling of the building, to develop demolition projects, as well as to coordinate them in the Riga City Construction Board and to carry out a procurement for construction works. The buildings are expected to be demolished in October.

If the Riga City Council decides to invest the Vidzeme market in the share capital of RCT, the market management has committed to develop three possible market development options, including economic costs and risk assessment.

Currently, RCT has highlighted three possible scenarios – to hold a market lease auction for 30 years, anticipating that the market will be developed by the investor at his own expense. As a possible option, the possibility of developing the market for RCT itself is considered, but then it will be necessary to take a loan for this purpose. As a third option, RCT offers to take over the management, but to lease the objects to third parties, which would ensure the development of the respective objects.

All three options will set requirements for the development of the Vidzeme market to preserve the market, which has been there historically, but with modern infrastructure, to preserve and restore meat and dairy pavilions, to provide outlets in the open area for farmers who produce or sell local agricultural products. trade to home producers, craftsmen and retailers involved in the sale of organic products. It will also be forbidden to set up a supermarket in the market area, it will be obliged to set up a children’s playground, parking lot, as well as to implement activities promoting culture and tourism, which would promote the development of the neighborhood and the involvement of its inhabitants.

It is planned that in July a technical specification will be developed for the procurement of scenarios for the development of the Vidzeme market development concept, and the procurement itself will take place from August to mid-September this year.

The concept with three possible variants, including the calculation of the required funds and risk assessment, is planned to be developed within six months – by March 15, 2019. The start of construction works in all three development scenarios is planned for January 1, 2020, but the completion – by December 31, 2022.

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It has already been reported that RCT is asking the Riga City Council to include the Vidzeme market in its share capital in order to be able to start its renewal.

RCT started taking over the Vidzeme market almost ten years ago. “Since the 1990s, several properties in the Vidzeme market have been owned by third parties and since 2010 litigation has taken place so that we can take over these properties,” RCT Chairman of the Board Artis Druvinieks explained to the committee, pointing out the main problems were the recovery of three large properties – the meat pavilion. , warehouses and administrative buildings, as well as the property where the car wash is located.

RCT took over the last properties only in April of this year and is now fully ready to include the entire market area in its share capital so that it can be renewed.

On May 22, during the meeting, the members of the committee walked around the Vidzeme market area, also entering the meat pavilion, which has been closed for almost ten years due to poor technical condition. During the inspection, Druvinieks informed about the ownership of the properties and future plans for their restoration, as a result of which RCT was entrusted to develop a specific plan for future activities.

As a result, those present agreed that at the forthcoming meeting of the City Development Committee on June 11, RCT will inform about a clear action plan – when it is planned to announce the auction of lease rights, when the landscaping works will be carried out, when market development scenarios will be prepared. Only then will the deputies decide on the inclusion of the Vidzeme market in the share capital of RCT.