Two-thirds of Zagreb quake rebuilding completed, €2.8bn invested

Hina - Reconstruction has been completed at about two-thirds of sites damaged in the 2020 Zagreb earthquake, with a total of €2.8 billion spent so far, Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Minister Branko Bačić said on Monday.

Speaking after visiting several sites ahead of the sixth anniversary of the quake, Bačić said 4,333 locations with about 40,000 housing units had been restored in the city.

Around 700 sites are currently under reconstruction, including 550 complex structural renovations of multi-apartment buildings, many dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which require the most time and funding, he said.

The ministry has also launched block-by-block reconstruction, with about 10 blocks under preparation or construction, aiming to renovate around 20 apartment buildings at once.

Bačić said 54 replacement family houses had been built and 52 were under construction, with all expected to be completed by the end of next year. The most complex structural renovations in Zagreb's Lower Town are planned to be completed by 2030.

Asked about the pace of reconstruction, Bačić said it could always be faster but the government had opted for a strategic approach focused on modern structural upgrades that are costlier and take longer but provide greater safety.

"The key thing is that the work is being done properly," he said, adding buildings were being strengthened to a much higher level of earthquake resistance than before 22 March 2020.

He said about 4,400 more sites still need to be rebuilt, with the overall reconstruction effort expected to be completed by 2030.

Bačić also addressed questions about the Vjesnik building, damaged in a fire in November, saying a contractor had selected a licensed company to remove asbestos found on the 16th floor of the tower. He said the work should not significantly delay the reopening of an underpass on Slavonska Avenue, which could reopen to traffic around Easter.

On affordable housing, Bačić said 958 property owners had so far applied to rent out homes under the government's affordable rental scheme, a higher response than expected despite scepticism from experts.

He said the government would continue the programme, particularly after parliament adopts a new affordable housing law aimed at easing conditions and increasing the number of long-term rental apartments.

Bačić said that securing 1,000 affordable rental units through the scheme would take at least two to three years if the state had to build them from scratch, underscoring the importance of activating vacant housing alongside new construction.

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