Business

Major Golf Resort to Be Built on Island of Cres

By 4 October 2016

Large investments are planned for Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

The Assembly of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County will soon vote on amendments to the County spatial plan for three large investment projects: golf resort on the island of Cres, a water park on the island of Krk, and the expansion of a fish farm also on Cres. County Prefect Zlatko Komadina said that the plan would be changed because of the benefits which the three projects will bring, reports Novi List on October 4, 2016.

The largest of the three projects is Eco Golf Resort Matalda at Punta Križa on Cres, which is being proposed by Jadranka from Mali Lošinj. Jadranka has already invested in building luxury hotels and five-star villas on Lošinj, and has now decided to implement one of the most ambitious projects in Croatia – construction of a golf resort with a variety of supporting facilities. Jadranka’s other major project is the expansion of the Mali Lošinj airport.

Eco Golf Resort Matalda would be built on the southern part of the island of Cres. It would include two courses with 18 holes. In addition, the resort would have a hotel with about a hundred rooms and 15 villas with pools, a small marina and a heliport. It should be noted that the villas will only be rented, so no one will be able to buy them.

Sanjin Šolić, the CEO of Jadranka, gave some additional information about the project. “This is a really large investment, and its cost will depend on the final project plans. According to the first assessment, the value will certainly not be less than 100 million euros, which represents a big financial burden and therefore we will seek additional funding sources and partners.”

The first step in the planning of the project was to achieve a consensus with all the stakeholders involved in the project. Therefore, the project plan has been presented to citizens, local government units, and it has already received the support of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the Town of Lošinj, and the Diocese of Krk, which is important since it owns the land where the resort would be built.

Investors say that, before drafting the final plan, special attention will be devoted to meeting the highest environmental standards. In cooperation with the Institute for Physical Planning, they have prepared studies on the protection of nature. Experts have assessed that the location was ideal for golf, given that the nature provides a configuration suitable for the construction of a golf course, which will enable the investors to make just minimal changes to the natural landscape. One of important elements is to protect the nearby Vransko Lake, which investors claim will not be used a source of water for the resort.

The resort will cover as much as 320 hectares and could be opened in 2020.

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