From left to right: Csaba Ruzsa, Pécs 2010 Management Kht. managing director; Róbert Gábriel, Pécs University rector; Bertalan Tóth, Pécs deputy mayor; Péter Tasnádi, Pécs mayor; Ferenc Csák, state secretary at the Ministry of Education and Culture; János Hargitai, Baranya County Assembly chairman; and György Márton, Transdanubian Regional Development Kht. managing director; waiting to sign financing agreements on the three main Pécs European Capital of Culture 2010 projects
Agreements were signed on financing for a HUF 7.2 billion conference and concert centre with a capacity to seat a thousand visitors, a HUF 5.5 billion library and knowledge centre that will merge all of the local university libraries, and HUF 2.5 billion for the first phase of a project that will revitalise the city's public spaces. European Union funding will account for HUF 5.25 billion of the conference centre budget, HUF 4.6 billion of the library project, and HUF 2.3 billion of the public spaces project.
Building permits have already been issued for all of the projects, and the process of selecting subcontractors is underway. Work is slated to begin in the spring of 2009. The concert hall and library projects are expected to be completed in 16 months.
A decision on the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, the fourth big project in Pécs 2010 programme, will be made early in 2009.
Some HUF 45 billion has been budgeted for the 2010 programme, and HUF 36.4 billion of this amount will go toward investments.
