“We had our eyes on the Nemunas sanatorium since the very first auction – the complex is in perhaps the best and especially prospective location of Druskininkai, and close to other gravity centres, and the municipality has plans for a conference centre nearby. We had to wait for the right moment, and now the decision seems entirely natural,” says Citus founder and owner Mindaugas Vanagas.
According to Vanagas, the auction was appealing due to the excellent pricing. However, the purchase of the complex could have stalled because it is huge, and only a few companies can successfully develop such a project.
“We know that the Nemunas complex drew the interest of some of the largest developers in Lithuania, and so, we believe that we were truly fortunate. Today, we have experience with conversion projects: our project Telegrafas in Kaunas’ fortress complex became the first conversion project certified based on an authenticity programme, and we are also developing another multifunctional project which is of a similar scale as Nemunas - Radio City in Kaunas, based in the former location of the Banga radio factory,” explains Mr. Vanagas.
The company has yet to unveil exact plans as to what should emerge in the former territory of Nemunas. However, it is likely that it will not be a project with a singular function potentially featuring apartments, leisure, business, working and creative spaces, and the entire project could be developed over 3-4 years.
“For all our projects, we seek an appealing concept. We involve the entire company and our partners in its creation, and we discuss at length to generate ideas. For this project, I believe that we will have a more specific vision in autumn, And I also am confident that the currently abandoned complex will become a modern centre of gravity in a few years which will enhance Druskininkai; we also see many synergies with the modern Druskininkai culture centre being built nearby which will also benefit from the auction finally going through,” says Citus’ founder.
While they stood abandoned and unmaintained for a number of years, the building constructions have aged well and are suitable for reconstruction, and so it is likely that most of the buildings will remain and will be renewed to create a modern look that represents one of the largest Lithuanian resorts.
The Nemunas sanatorium can be found in central Druskininkai at Liepų street 1.
The combined space in the buildings reaches around 19.5 thousand square-metres (16,558.23 sq. m, 1,520.44 sq. m, 1,328.45 sq. m). and a 2.1513-hectare plot of land has been allocated to them. Nearby, you can find the Druskininkai Water Park, the Druskininkai Cable Car, a sanatorium park, the Musical Fountain, an adventure park, Lake Druskonis, and other local tourist attractions.
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