Could Construction of Hotel Toplice in Krapinske Toplice Begin in Winter?
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes on the 2nd of October, 2020, the bankruptcy of the management of the Krass Hotel and the closure of Hotel Toplice in Krapinske Toplice in this day and age could actually end up being a good way to accelerate the announced investment of Chinese investors who bought this hotel from ACM two years ago. So far no concrete progress with the announced investments in the modern 4 star Hotel Toplice has occurred.
However, if the investors who paid 4.3 million euros for the facility back in 2018, having invested more in paperwork, don't start the works this winter, another season will fail and thus the profitability of the investment will become questionable.
The building is in a great location, it has great potential but is very neglected and dilapidated. It's worth mentioning that the Chinese investor is the Hong Kong company Zhongya Holding, which, although it boasts a very similar name, has nothing to do with the company Zhongya Nekretnine, which expressed its intention to buy the former political school in Kumrovec from the state in 2019, but never paid the requested money.
''There were two options with Hotel Toplice, reconstruction that is possible with the existing permits, but the facility no longer meets the standards in the hotel industry, and it wouldn't pay off, so instead we'd see the demolition of the entire facility and the building of a new one, in dimensions that will suit the local community. The demolition could start this autumn, after the end of the bankruptcy proceedings, which has already been agreed in principle with the company Tehnika. If the weather conditions allow for it, and if the project is approved, the works on the construction of the new Toplice hotel could start in the winter,'' explained Mario Rendulic, president of the CSEBA association, which connects investors from China with the countries of Southeastern Europe. CSEBA and Zhongya Holding are the founders of the company Spring Spa Hotel, which should realise this multimillion investment in Krapinske Toplice.
Rendulic explained that the investment didn't start being realised until the company Krass Hotel, owned by Autocentar Merkur (ACM), concluded a pre-bankruptcy settlement, which was approved back in 2016 according to the Court Register. The pre-bankruptcy, however, hasn't yet been signed, and the current coronavirus crisis has ruled out the already weak business of the company, which decided to file for bankruptcy on October the 1st, 2020 and totally close the hotel.
In the meantime, from the purchase of the building until today, the Chinese presented the first idea of the building designed in China to the local community, but the building in the style of "Wuhan" didn't fit the views of the place and the proposal was of course rejected. Rendulic claims that the new project, designed by local designers, is in line with the spatial plan, although the mayor Ernest Svazic claims that he hasn't actually seen it in person yet.
''The investor is certainly familiar in detail with what can be built, and we're looking forward to a new project in order to start the realisation as soon as possible. The municipality doesn't enter into relations between two private companies, it's up to us to provide them with the right conditions for investment, which we are, but I believe that bankruptcy could speed up the investment process, which would be useful,'' said Mayor Svazic of the future Toplice Hotel.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
Croatian Motorways Goes Ahead With Zagreb-Sisak Road Completion
As Novac/Kresimir Zabec writes on the 2nd of October, 2020, back in June, Croatian Motorways (HAC) announced a preliminary consultation on the open public procurement procedure for the Novi Vinodolski bypass, and the announcement of the tender is still pending. There is also the 11 kilometres of the Zagreb-Sisak road to deal with.
''We're working on financing the construction of the Novi Vinodolski bypass with funds from the 'Competitiveness and Cohesion' EU Fund. If we succeed in that, with the funds we've earmarked for this project, we'd start the construction of the last part of the Zagreb-Sisak motorway,'' explained the President of Croatian Motorways, Boris Huzjan.
Non-refundable funds
The estimated value of the works stands at 495 million kuna. It is a 9.8 kilometre long bypass, of which 6.5 kilometres runs along the route of the future A7 motorway, and the remaining 3.3 kilometres refers to the connecting roads to the Adriatic Highway (D8). Part of the bypass, more precisely the Selce-Novi Vinodolski section, is an integral part of the future A7 Rupa-Rijeka-Zuta Lokva motorway and its position coincides with the left carriageway of this motorway.
The Zagreb-Sisak motorway was completed to Lekenik and an addition 11 kilometres to Sisak needs to be constructed. HAC obtained all the necessary project documentation as well as a building permit. The proposal of existing installations on the route is in progress and activities on land acquisition have begun. The estimated value of the construction of these 11 kilometres of motorway stands at 291 million kuna, and the planned construction period is two years.
If this were to happen, HAC would, for the first time in its history, be able to obtain an EU grant for some of its projects. Namely, the EU doesn't co-finance road projects that will be paid later. Since the Novi Vinodolski bypass will be in the profile of a semi-motorway and no toll collection is foreseen for it, the project can be nominated for co-financing from EU funds.
Recovery fund
As has since been learned unofficially, the representatives of the Ministry of Transport are intensively negotiating with the European Commission to transfer several large infrastructure projects financed from the budget of Croatian Roads and Croatian Motorways to co-financing from EU funds. The plan is to "transfer" some of the projects already nominated for funding from the Competitiveness and Cohesion Fund to the newly launched EU Recovery and Resilience Fund, which would open the possibility of co-financing some new projects from the Competitiveness and Cohesion Fund.
Until now, HAC and HC projects could not be nominated for co-financing from that fund for the period from 2014 to 2020 because there were no more funds for transport projects in it.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
Post Earthquake Zagreb Restoration to Take Ten Years?
As Novac/Vedran Marjanovic writes on the 2nd of October, 2020, the Zagreb restoration, which includes not only the city but also buildings in the surrounding area could take ten years, and one of the 'bottlenecks' of the Zagreb restoration project could be the role of conservator, said the president of the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers, Nina Drazin Lovrec.
''In Zagreb,there are 6000 damaged buildings in the upper and lower city (gornji and donji grad), which means that the role of conservator will be necessary. On the other hand, we currently have only 187 certified civil engineers for conservation work. In addition, a survey we recently conducted within the Chamber among 1,500 of our members in Zagreb and surrounding counties showed that only about 400 of them are ready to get involved in the Zagreb restoration and that of the city's surroundings,'' warned the president of HKIG at the Chamber's round table on the Zagreb restoration in which, among others, the Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Property Darko Horvat, associate professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering Josip Atalic and expert in building statics Kresimir Tarnik took part.
Minister Horvat expressed his belief that the course of the Zagreb restoration will go smoothly in the chain from the 'snapshot' of the situation through the preparation of project documentation for reconstruction to the preparation of cost estimates and ordering the work itself to be carried out.
''The fear of slowing down the Zagreb restoration process lies in the resolving of property-legal relations and the ownership status of buildings as a whole. When we talk about financing the renovation in the part borne by the owners of the buildings, the state is ready to help through HBOR and other ways of lending,'' said Horvat.
The Minister warned that the state would once again bear the main burden of the Zagreb restoration, but that, he pointed out, this should finally be clear to everyone in Croatia that ownership is not only a right and benefit but also a responsibility.
''We're working on a bill that will regulate the issue of building maintenance and the responsibility of owners for it,'' announced Horvat, noting that the state will continue to encourage the energy renovation of buildings and lending to young families through subsidies for housing loans.
Josip Atalic estimated that the competent ministry, as the holder of the project for the reconstruction of the buildings damaged by the Zagreb earthquake, will face numerous difficulties, confirming that ownership relations are one of the obstacles to a quick and quality reconstruction.
''I wouldn't like to be in the shoes of Minister Horvat at all, especially when I know what's happening on the ground and how high the expectations of people are from the reconstruction. Many, for example, will probably not be satisfied with the quality of the reconstruction,'' Atalic commented, noting that one of the problems in this regard could be the fact that there are about 100,000 requests in Zagreb for the legalisation of illegally built or upgraded property, among which, he added, there are many buildings which were themselves damaged in the earthquake.
Referring to the frequent assessments that a significant number of buildings were damaged in the earthquake because they weren't well maintained, Atalic noted that the earthquake also damaged buildings that underwent energy renovation.
Some participants in the HKIG meeting expressed confidence that the reconstruction of the quake-affected areas could take five years, but with the caveat that everything will depend on the preparation of project documentation, the length of public tenders and the availability of companies and workers for commissioned work. It is much more likely that the stumbling blocks along the way will make the process take far longer, perhaps an additional five years more.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
B1M Portal: Peljesac Bridge Among Largest Projects Connecting Europe
As Morski writes on the 2nd of October, 2020, the reputable infrastructure-oriented B1M portal has made an overview of the largest infrastructure projects that will contribute to better integration of Europe, and Croatia's long awaited Peljesac bridge which will connect Croatian territory, currently split by a border with neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been ranked among them.
These are projects with respective values which are usually measured in billions of euros - on some, construction has already come a long way, and not some, construction is yet to begin, reports Jutarnji list.
Given the fact that Croatia's infrastructure projects are typically not among the likes of those which go on in richer European countries, it is interesting that the much anticipated Peljesac Bridge has found itself on the B1M portal's list among the huge railway tunnels under the Alps, the road tunnel under the Baltic Sea and the large water canal in France.
Let's have a quick look at what the B1M portal had to say about Croatia's strategic project:
Peljesac Bridge (Republic of Croatia)
The first project mentioned is Croatia's Peljesac Bridge, which, once completed (most likely in two years), will connect the southernmost part of Croatia with the rest of the country, thus bypassing the currently necessary border crossing with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Neum. The bridge will be 2,404 metres long, 23.6 metres wide, and the entire construction project is worth 420 million euros.
The contractor is the Chinese company China Road and Bridge Corporation, while the access roads, which will cover 32 kilometres in total, are being built by the Austrian company Strabag and the Greek company Avax.
For other European mega-projects the B1M portal has included on its list, watch the video below:
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.
Pedja Grbin Elected SDP Leader
ZAGREB, Oct 3, 2020 - Pedja Grbin has become the fourth leader of Croatia's strongest opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) after defeating his leadership opponent in an election run-off on Saturday.
Slightly over 11,500 SDP members were entitled to vote in the second round at 286 polling stations in six electoral regions. Grbin won 65 percent of votes and Zeljko Kolar 35 percent.
The party election was held after Davor Bernardic stepped down as leader following a poor showing at the parliamentary election of July 5.
In the first round of voting held last Saturday, Grbin received 41.23 percent of votes and Kolar 25.53%.
Grbin was born in the northern Adriatic city of Pula in 1979. He is a law graduate and has served as the deputy leader of the SDP since 2016.
Skoro: Manner of Selecting Attorney-General Should be Changed
ZAGREB, Oct 3, 2020 - The deputy speaker of the Croatian parliament and leader of the right-wing Homeland Movement, Miroslav Skoro, said on Saturday that the manner of selecting the Attorney-General should be changed.
Skoro was speaking to reporters after a grape harvest in Mitrovac, about 200 kilometres east of Zagreb.
“We have already raised the problem of such an influential and powerful person being handpicked by a political group. There are a lot of political games played here, under-the-table dealings, and we are all hostages to this system," Skoro said.
"The way in which the system works, the way in which these people are selected, notably the Attorney-General, should be changed. That is crucial. The Attorney-General must be an independent, well-paid professional who will come to grips with the cancer of crime and corruption in this society," the Homeland Movement leader said.
Commenting on media reports that Dragan Kovacevic, the former CEO of state-owned oil pipeline operator JANAF, who has been arrested on suspicion of corruption, had hidden money in the home of the husband of a deputy state attorney, Skoro said: "The saddest thing is that people who should have known about this pretend that they did not know. If they indeed did not know, then we are all in big trouble."
Asked if the Homeland Movement supported the demand for abolishing the mandatory membership fee for the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, he said: "Yes, wholeheartedly!"
Filip Hrgovic Will Fight Rydell Booker in Florida this November
October 3, 2020 - Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic will fight Rydell Booker, a 39-year-old American and former sparring partner trying to revive his career after his release from prison, on November 7 in Florida.
Index.hr reports that Hrgovic's promoters responded to messages from critics questioning whether the program they had designed for the Croatian champion made sense. After the match against Kartozia, a boxer who is not even among the 600 best in the world, Hrgovic answered that it is up to his promoters to organize the fights, and it is up to him to be ready for any fight.
And while Kartozia received a boxing ban of a few months, Hrgovic enters the ring again a little over a month after the knockout in Denmark. He has already left for America, where he will prepare for the fight against Booker.
The American has had 29 fights and won 26 times in his professional career. He lost three times, in 2004 to James Toney, in April 2019 to Jermaine Franklin, and recently against Bulgarian boxer Pulev.
Booker, who will turn 40 in February, was one of America’s most promising heavyweights at the turn of the century. Born in Detroit, Booker had 22 straight wins by mid-2004, winning an IBA title match against James Toney, who had earlier demolished Evander Holyfield. The winner would get a chance to box for the world title.
However, in parallel with his boxing career, Booker also built a criminal one. Five months before the fight with Toney, he was arrested along with three other men for possessing more than a pound of cocaine and was awaiting trial.
"I had to accept that fight even though I wasn't ready for it. I needed money for expensive court costs, and I had no choice," said Booker years later, who lost to Toney by a unanimous decision of the judges after 12 rounds.
Hrgovic believes that he will bring down Booker without any problems.
"I can't wait to fight in America. Booker is a skilled fighter; he had a good fight against Pulev. He kept his distance and won the first couple of rounds; he endured 12 rounds. I can do much better. I will finish this fight earlier. Booker was one of my sparring partners before the fight with Corbin. I know him well, and he knows me well. He scanned me. I am looking forward to the fight. He has good technique and skill, but I am more prepared, and in better shape, and I think he will not be able to bear my strength and pressure," Filip Hrgovic said.
His promoters from Team Sauerland predict that by the end of 2021, Hrgovic will be fighting for the world heavyweight title.
"Filip can hurt any heavyweight at the moment. He has dynamite in both hands, he showed that in the last fight, and he will show it against Booker. Filip must stay in rhythm and fight because a challenging year awaits us. He is ready to fight for the title of champion," said Nisse Sauerland, Hrgovic's promoter, announcing the new fight.
He recently said he would not give up on a deal to fight British boxer, Daniel Dubois.
Sauerland confirmed that the fight is still in the plan, and by the end of 2020, he could be in the ring for the third time.
"After Booker, we hope to fight one more time by the end of the year. We're trying to keep Filip busy and going in the right direction," Sauerland explained.
There have been rumors for some time about the clash between Hrgovic and Dubois, a duel between two upcoming fighters who should be at the top of international boxing for a long time.
"We are definitely considering a fight with Dubois, he is constantly progressing; he is completely different than a few years ago. We will see him as he really is in the next fight against Joe Joyce, in my opinion, it is completely open. But the fight between Dubois and Hrgovic will happen soon, in a year, no matter how Dubois fares against Joyce," Sauerland said, adding that this is the perfect time for Hrgovic to fight for the top of world boxing because the heavyweight division has never been more exciting, after a boring era dominated by the Klitschko brothers.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.
Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.
Grbin: Milanovic Feeding or Shielding Himself with Conflicts
ZAGREB, Oct 3, 2020 - SDP parliamentarian Pedja Grbin, who is one of the two candidates vying in the runoff for the Social Democratic party chief, said on Saturday that he had no special comment on the criticism targeted by Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, a former SDP leader, against him.
The President of Republic is obviously feeding or shielding himself with conflicts, Grbin said after Milanovic on Friday said that Grbin "made mistakes in logic" when tried to defend a performance by two Opposition members of parliament.
Milanovic wondered whether "not being able to verbally attack your political opponents or question their logic, the basis or politeness of their performances is democracy."
"Another mistake in logic. The candidate for SDP's leadership unfortunately did not manage to put together one meaningful sentence and that's my message to him. He need not call me in the future, and if that is how he wants to lead the SDP, it won't be good," Milanovic said sending Grbin a message.
Grbin said in Pula on Saturday morning that he did not want to participate in the exhange of barbs with Milanovic.
Croatian Parliament Speaker Tests Positive for Coronavirus
ZAGREB, Oct 2, 2020 - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic, who is self-isolating, has tested positive for coronavirus, his cabinet said on Friday.
He is experiencing mild symptoms, feels well and he is at home, the press release said.
Jandrokovic has been in self-isolation since Wednesday because the head of his cabinet was confirmed to have coronavirus infection on Tuesday evening. Since Jandrokovic had been in contact with the head of his cabinet the day before, epidemiologists imposed a two-week self-isolation on him.
During his absence, deputy speakers will chair parliament meetings.
Croatia's Coronavirus Update: 241 New and 1,447 Active Cases
ZAGREB, Oct 3, 2020 - In the last 24 hours, of 4,352 tests performed for coronavirus in Croatia, 241 returned positive, and there are now 1,447 active cases of this infectious disease, the national COVID-19 crisis management team stated in a press release on Saturday.
In the last 24 hours, there have been two more COVID-related fatalities, thus bringing the death toll to 293.
Croatian hospitals are now treating 289 patents diagnosed with COVID, and of them 23 are placed on ventilators.
Currently, 8,973 people are self isolating.
Since February 25, when the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Croatia, 17,401 have contracted the novel virus, and 15,661 have recovered, including 238 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
A total of 321,551 people have been tested to date.
