On Wednesday, the City Council of Katowice agreed to dispone a plot of land to the University of Silesia. The property will be destined for the Center for Biotechnology and Biodiversity.
The subjected plot is situated between Wodna and Górnicza streets in the heart of Katowice where UniverCity, a new academic district, is planned by the City of Katowice and local universities. The land covers the area of 11 411 sq. meters. If erected, the center would be the second building of the new district. Construction works were started this summer on the Krzysztof Kieślowski Radio and Television Faculty’s new seat of the University of Silesia. This educational facility is being built on Pawła St.
The plot located between Wodna and Górnicza street is the consecutive property granted by the City of Katowice to the local universities. The Scientific Information Center and Academic Library, the Law and Administration Faculty’s building of the University of Silesia, Advanced Information Technology Center of the University of Economics in Katowice were also built on municipal plots.
The Center for Biotechnology and Biodiversity will be raised for approximately PLN 120 million. The project budget will be partially covered from the European Union funds. „Having a valid title to the property is necessary to obtain a higher number of points during the evaluation process” – commented Piotr Uszok, mayor of Katowice.
Initial costs of the new academic district amount to approximately PLN 400 million. Apart from the Radio and Television Faculty’s new seat and the Center for Biotechnology and Biodiversity, following buildings are planned to be erected in the area of Pawła, Wodna and Górnicza streets: two students dormitories (PLN 130 million, public-private partnership), new seat of the Philology Faculty (PLN 65 million, public-private partnership) and a multifunctional sport hall (PLN 30 million, public-private partnership).