Lodz is a city with very strong textile traditions. The city started to specialise in this industry branch during the Russian occupation in XIX c. when the main objective was to fulfil demand of tsar’s Russia. The first textile factory was opened in 1823 and this date is considered to be the beginning of the industrial Lodz. One of the biggest cotton factory opened in XIX c. was the factory of Izrael Poznanski, a Jewish businessman.

Its construction started in 1872. That time the factory was located in the middle of a wild field with a small river Lodka. At the end of XIX c. Poznanski was one of the richest persons in the Kingdom of Poland. Together with the factory he built a housing estate, hospital, school and shops that made the “factory district” of Poznanski. The factory’s area has been absorbed by the expanding city of Lodz and now it is located in the very heart of the city. Its owners have changed several times since that time, but it has always been a textile factory.

In 80-ties of XX c. the factory started to have economic problems. It produced 70 M m of textile per year, but the Russians, till that time its main clients, broke contracts and most of produced textile added stock. In the Western Europe new technologies enabled to produce cheap modern textile, the mass production of textile had been transferred to Asia and the Poznanski’s factory was not competitive enough to survive on the market. Its management could not see any possibility to improve the situation.

The production in the factory was stopped in 1993 and may problems started to appear:

In 1998 a French company, Apsys, bought the former factory to open there a commercial, entertainment and cultural centre. Main objectives of the former factory revitalisation were to use all advantages of the area’s attractive location, its historic heritage and fully use possibilities created by the physical development plan identifying a wide range of land use areas there.

Most of the factory’s buildings, renewed and cleaned, have been incorporated in the Centre structure. That was done under supervision of the Provincial Heritage Conservator to preserve in the best way their historical character. New jobs created in Manufactura decreased the unemployment. Opening of the biggest cultural and commercial centre in Lodz has positively influenced the city’s image and its economy what results among others in living standards enhancement.

In 1993 the majority of employees of Poznanki’s textile factory were dismissed and the factories buildings were left unused. Declining physical quality of its realties marked the whole district as a deprived area. Unused space in the centre, visited by alcohol drinkers and homeless people badly influenced the city’s image. Another important social problem was lack of jobs for former textile workers. The Poznanski’s factory was not the only one closed that time. Many people in this industry branch lost jobs. Unemployment in the city was high.

According to the physical development plan approved in 1997 the main purpose was to adapt existing post-industrial complex to non-industrial functions such as trade and craft, administration, gastronomy, hotels. The city authorities believed that such activities could revitalise the district and create new jobs for inhabitants.

In 2001, when the investor for the area was already known, the possible functions of the area was broadened with commercial ones, trade and recreational centre, cultural services, health, tools of communication service, car park, networks and equipment of technical infrastructure, high and low greenery. The change reflected investor’s plans connected with the former factory’s area.

Openning of Manufaktura has contributed to a change of the city’s image, growth of its attractiveness for inhabitants and tourists what directly enhances living standards. Besides it has given over 3,5 thousand jobs, places to run bussines for local and other enterpreneurs, has increased tax inflow to the city’s budget thanks to what people may afford better living standards and the city may undertake new investments aiming in enhancement of living conditions of its inhabitants.
In the beginning of 90-ties of XX c. there were ideas to give the factory to the city and to transform it into exposition centre for the fashion fair. As the Poznanki’s factory was one of focuses of the Solidarity in Lodz, the city authorities didn’t want to accept such a solution believing that it would be possible to save the factory and let people hold down their jobs. Three years later there were no more means to keep workers so most of them lost their jobs anyway.

In 1997 the first amendment of the physical development plan, concerning the factory’s area, was approved by the City Council. Its main purpose was to adapt existing post-industrial complex to non-industrial functions such as trade and craft, administration, gastronomy, hotels.

In 2001 another amendment of the physical development plan was approved. It was prepared in co-operation with the investor who, after having developed economic and financial analysis, decided for a wider scope of activities than identified for the area in the former physical plan.

The new plan introduced additionally following functions there: commercial ones, trade and recreational centre, cultural services, health, tools of communication service, car park, networks and equipment of technical infrastructure, high and low greenery.

Since the very beginning of the project the investor, a private French company, has tried to involve local authorities (the City Hall, the Marshal Office, the Provincial Heritage Conservator) in the design works. Since 2001 110 building, demolishing or development permits have been issued for the area. As the result of co-operation with the Marshal Office a project of the National Museum of Modern Art extension has been developed. Its headquarters will be in one of Manufaktura’s buildings.

The project of the Museum has additionally gained a constant support of the Polish Ministry of Culture and many cultural societies. The Museum’s opening is forecasted for 2007. The name Manufaktura has been invented by students – the investor kept informed inhabitants about the revitalisation plans and progress as well as looked for their feedback.

In what form and to what extent are private investors financially involved in the urban planning strategies in the deprived area? Please specify the institutional cooperation between the different actors in the project.

The whole investment has been financed by a private investor. Since 1998, w hen he bought the former factory premises, he has co-operated with local authorities on Manufaktura’s design. Thanks to such an approach the investor has had his business priorities included in the plans approved by the local authorities and the city could influence the investment planning process to solve in the best possible way crucial social problems.

As for financial involvement of the investor in the urban planning strategies, the investor paid for all analysis and designs ordered for the Manufakltura. It has facilitated the city to develop urban strategies for the area. One of the biggest problems with Manufaktura area was the road system there. To solve it in the best way the investor ordered some studies: “Survey on the transport service of the Manufaktura Centre” 2003, “Analysis of the transport service of the Manufaktura Centre” 2004, “Additional analysis of the transport service of the Manufaktura Centre” 2005.

Physical strategies were crucial for the revitalisation of the area. The first amendment of the physical development plan, changing the factory’s area function from industry into non-industrial functions such as trade and craft, administration, gastronomy, hotels, attracted prospective investors showing them new business possibilities in the area.

Further amendment of the physical development plan, including investor’s suggestions, approved in 2001, “opened the door” for the investor to execute his business plans.

The main results of the revitalisation are as follow:

Manufactura was opened in May 2006. We should wait some time to evaluate its long-term result. As for now, it may be said that the investment has been planed by the investor in a close co-operation with local authorities to achieve not only economic, but also social objectives.

Improvement of inhabitants’ economic situation, reconstruction of the road system around Manufaktura, introducing new functions there (culture, entertainment), better esthetics of the area should have a very positive influence on living standards enhancement.

The key success factors of the project was a close co-operation of different partners who should have been involved in the investment realisation (involvement of local authorities in the design works, inclusion of investor’s suggestions in physical development plan, execution of historical buildings renovation and their incorporation into the Centre structure under supervision of Provincial Heritage Conservator, keeping inhabitants informed etc).

At this phase it is difficult to fully estimate project’s success as well as the factors that limited the success.

Main beneficiaries of the Manufaktura project are:

The whole investment cost is estimated at the level of 200 M Euro. So far the investor has spent 140 M Euro, in which 36 M Euro is the cost of renovation of relic walls.

There was no EU involvement in the practice except funds to co-financed the Museum of Modern Art

Apsys Managament Manufaktura
Phone: +48 42 664-92-60
marketing.manufaktura@apsys.pl

//1998

case

Urban Policy > Urban environment

Urban renewal