The Silesian Museum is going to continue a revitalization process of the surroundings of its new seat. Works should be commenced soon on an old bath house and carpentry shop. Also, it is planned to renovate a water tower within a public-private partnership.
All the three brick facilities were part of the former „Katowice” coal mine and are now closely located to the new Silesian Museum’s seat from the north side. The cultural institution is now looking for a prime contractor to conduct renewal works on the bath house and carpentry shop. A name of the company should be known very soon as the administrative proceedings are already underway. „We are about to announce the result of the bidding procedure next week. An estimated cost of the undertaking totals almost PLN 30 million” – says Danuta Piękoś, marketing and public relations specialist at the Silesian Museum.
The former bath house will be transformed into the seat of history, archeology and ethnography departments. The carpentry building will be adapted for the space of educational and cultural events and exhibitions for children. The undertaking is financed from the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area Grants for the years 2009-2014 within the conservation and revitalization of cultural and natural heritage programme.
The third of the fore-mentioned buildings will be restored thanks to the project of Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP). Last year, the agency announced the third edition of the 3P competition addressed to all public institutions, which want to execute projects of public purposes, and of which the total amount does not exceed PLN 100 million.
The Silesian Museum had submitted the revitalization project of the water tower and won the prize, which is a professional and complex advisory support for the realization of the undertaking. The process of revitalization will be conducted by the museum in cooperation with a private partner. The firm will have to offer there cultural and touristic attractions, and make profits in return. The water tower was built in 1916 and is out of use since the 60s of the last century.
„Currently we are waiting for the advisor to be appointed by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. The advisor and the Silesian Museum will prepare essential specifications to choose the private partner. We should finish the preparation of the procedure by the end of this year” – adds Danuta Piękoś.
Earlier this year, on 26th of June, the great opening of the Silesian Museum’s new seat will take place at 1 Dobrowolskiego St.