The Mayor of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomasevic, announced on Thursday that the 85-million-euro project for the construction of a new city library and the Paromlin Social and Cultural Centre will begin next week.

The 36,000 square metre complex is scheduled to open in June 2026 and will become a new city centre between the main railway station and the Vatroslav Lisinski Music Hall.

The project planners are the company UPI-2M and the main developer is Kamgrad.

“We hope that we will be able to cover almost half of the project costs with EU funds, and the largest part will be financed from the city budget,” said Mayor Tomasevic at a press conference.

The entire area will be given a new look. Work on the former Gredelj factory site, which is a private investment, will begin soon, as will work on the former Zagrebacka Banka building, while a solution is also being negotiated for the surrounding dilapidated buildings, the mayor said.

Deputy Mayor Luka Korlaet said that the complex will consist of a reconstructed part of the former Paromlin and a glass extension. It will also have a two-storey underground car park with 350 parking spaces, which will be managed by Zagreb Parking.

He explained that the new complex will not only house the long-needed new city library, but also a cultural and educational centre for events such as concerts, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, lectures and plays.

Zagreb will also be able to satisfy the need for congress halls, which is currently lacking, as the complex will include a hall with about 450 seats that can be used as one large or two smaller halls, Korlaet explained.