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Economy and ecology go hand in hand: Meridian 16!
December 12, 2019

Economy and ecology go hand in hand: Meridian 16!

Meridian 16 Business Park, a project occupying 109 hectares of land at the exit of the City of Velika Gorica, was ceremoniously awarded the prestigious DGNB certificate for green building on Monday evening, marking a first in Croatia

An Austrian company developing projects in Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine named its Croatian project “Meridian 16 BUSINESS PARK”, the objective of which has been clear from the start – Meridian 16 strives become the leading eco-industrial zone in Croatia, creating a balance between the environment and the economy. The breakthrough made at the end of October is the final confirmation that this goal has already been largely achieved.

“Meridian 16 BUSINESS PARK” received the international certificate of green building, DGNB GOLD, which is a level that no one in Croatia has attained before! To mark this occasion, on Monday evening, at the premises of the Visitors’ Center of the Velika Gorica Tourist Board, a ceremony was held to award this prestigious certificate, officially handed over by the President of the Austrian Sustainable Building Council Mr. Peter Engert. Many guests and partners, including the Mayor of Velika Gorica, Mr. Dražen Barišić, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning, Mr. Željko Uhlir and the Head of the Austrian Foreign Trade Office, Mrs. Sonja Holocher-Ertl, all came to congratulate the company’s management on the success that makes this business park special and even more attractive to investors.

The path to obtaining a DGNB certificate is paved with a set of criteria, divided into five categories, whereby all major aspects of sustainability are assessed, including environmental quality, socio-cultural quality, economic quality, technical quality and process quality. All of these conditions were fulfilled by “Meridian 16 BUSINESS PARK”, which received very high ratings in all categories, making one of the largest business zones in Croatia a pioneer in this respect.

And this comes as no surprise, since the benefits of this project are clear even to laymen. Its land of 109 hectares has excellent transport connections, being located 20 kilometers from the Zagreb city centre, near the airport, along the railway and close to highways. Furthermore, with its position at the exit of Velika Gorica, the sixth largest city in Croatia, situated near the Croatian capital, Meridian 16 occupies the fastest growing area with an excellent selection of skilled workforce, whereby the investors must adhere to all applicable environmental standards. But above all, Meridian 16 has a clear and cleverly elaborated future development.

The first phase is underway, with 240,000m2 of land planned, while the second phase will use 260,000m2 and the third and final one 550,000m2.

“We want to provide investors with the professional support of our advisors, designers, contractors... as well as consulting throughout the whole process, from the sale and purchase of land, through the preparation of projects and obtaining permits, to the construction itself, as well as the functioning of the resulting facility,” said Ivana Bakunić, Head of Project Development, emphasizing that the principles of green and sustainable construction are particularly important.

In other words, this means that, in addition to the buildings being erected by economic operators, green spaces will be planned in the area, all with the aim of making the complete space productive in economic terms, as well as providing a comfortable environment for everyone, from workers to passersby. This is why the start of works in this area, encompassing around one million squares of the largest DGNB-certified land in this part of Europe, was marked by the planting of 80 plane trees, in place of the traditional foundation stone. Economy and ecology, by all accounts, have never worked so closely together in Croatia...

“Green building has no alternative; it provides all of us with a better place to live and work, reduces the consumption of all resources, with a particular focus on energy, reduces CO2 emissions and the negative environmental impact of construction, and it has a positive impact on the economic growth and development of green jobs. Business zones are particularly attractive for the application of green building principles, both when it comes to their infrastructural development concept and attracting green investment”, said Dr. Richard Teichmann, the man at the forefront of this project.

At the moment, three facilities have been built, with Atlantic Grupa, in strategic partnership with Kamgrad, Palco and FAS Logistics being the first to take advantage of the opportunity. Additionally, six more investors are in the process of obtaining permits and preparing for the start of construction. Very soon, without a doubt, this whole story will have gained even more momentum, and increasingly, people will be pleased to work in this oasis of greenery, peace, tranquility and quality economic contribution.

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