RIGA - The construction of residential highrises is currently sweeping up Riga in its dust, and it's not going to stop soon. With the current hot spot being Kipsala Island, developers are quickly eating up everything within and beyond the Daugava River.
The space in downtown Riga is slowly diminishing, and the price of property has rocketed to an average of 1,700 euros per square meter, leaving business and residential park developers no choice but to move to the outskirts.
Meanwhile, construction of one of Riga's first residential high-rise properties is planned to begin this month. The developers, Vincents-owned Balasta Properties, aim to have the Kipsala shore building completed by the spring of 2006.
The Da Vinci complex, a 40 million euro project, will boast 120 high-end apartments in a 24-story building. The highrise will also accommodate four three-story cubes that house shops, cafes, a health center and an exhibition space.
The cost of the apartments, which will range from between 90 to 160 square meters, has yet to be valued, but "there has already been great interest in the project and in the residences, as the building integrates a beautiful view of Riga," says Laine Zemite of Vincents.
In fact, the riverside apartments' main selling point will be their view.
Being only half a kilometer from Riga's Old Town, and having reasonable transportation access to the city center, Kipsala's key attraction is its location. It also has the benefit of being a quiet island floating in the middle of a booming metropolis.
"It has a 'near natural' feeling with the surrounding water and pier. An ecological idea was chosen following the basic principle not to create anything aggressive in order to fit with the silhouette of the island," says Zemite.
Working with the land, Balasta Properties proposes to build a pier - in accord with the island's "silhouette" - at the Zunda Tunnel to accommodate residents' boats, making the apartments even more exclusive.
The island's contour, however, is not the only thing that developers have to take into consideration. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, architects in Riga must adhere to UNESCO regulations and investigation.
"Previous height restriction problems with Kipsala Island were mostly connected with the Saules Akmens project. There were many discussions about the legislations that determine the rules of the building criteria," says Dana Hasana of Riga's city development department.
Thankfully, the Da Vinci, designed by German architect Meinhard von Gerkan, will not encounter the same building regulation problems that Saules Akmens did.
"There are no historical monuments or natural objects nearby, and the site is outside the historical center," explains Zemite.
Also, the height of the buildings in Kipsala are not planned to exceed the UNESCO-mandated 121 meters, whereas Saules Akmens climbs 123 meters.
"Properties built on Kipsala Island should not have these problems as the current plan for future development is based on new building regulations," Hasana adds.
Despite problems with building criteria, the island has already bred successful projects, giving confidence to present developers. One success story is that of former Prime Minister Maris Gailis, whose company converted the old gypsum factory into 34 apartments and is currently renovating the island's historical wooden houses.
Gailis believes that Kipsala is a wise investment.
"It is a special place located in the heart of Riga. It is close to the Old Town and is clean and safe. Plus, it still has many historical buildings, mainly connected with the sea - such as fishermen's cottages," he says.
Having worked on the island since 1997, Gailis rates it highly for those in the development business.
"There is potential here, and I am very happy to be working on the island," he says.
Town-planning consultancy Arhis is just now recognizing the future plans for Kipsala Island. The plans, which were considered last year at an architectural conference and will take approximately 20 years to accomplish, include a business park and more residential highrises.
"According to the existing detailed plan of Kipsala and the vision of future development, more high-rise residential buildings are to expand to the southern part of Kipsala," says Hasana.
Kipsala's transportation system will also have to be developed to manage the area's increasing number of people. Although a tram already runs to downtown Riga from the island, for efficiency purposes, modernizing is needed.
More extravagant plans include an underwater walkway to the port.
"A decision hasn't been made yet, but city planning specialists agree that there must be a crossing over the river as a continuation of Hanzas street," says Hasana.
