The dispute over the future of the tenement houses on Józefa Street in Krakow’s Kazimierz district gained momentum after the termination of lease agreements with the current tenants. A private investor intends to convert the buildings into a high-standard hotel, which is opposed by residents and some city authorities. In response to this situation, the Mayor of Krakow announced the preparation of a new local spatial development plan for the disputed area.
Dispute over tenement houses in Kazimierz
At the end of February this year, local media reported that 21 tenants and lessees of small commercial premises in the tenement houses at 9 and 11 Józefa Street and 24 Bożego Ciała Street had received notices of termination of their contracts with a deadline of the end of March. The buildings remain the property of the Order of Canons Regular of the Lateran, which in 2011 leased them on a long-term basis to the De Silva development company. The investor’s plans sparked public protest. On Sunday, 1 March, a demonstration was held on Józefa Street with the participation of residents and city activists. The participants opposed the conversion of the historic buildings into a hotel and the treatment of tenants with indefinite leases.
Tenement houses at 9 and 11 Józefa Street and 24 Bożego Ciała Street
During a session of the Krakow City Council, Mayor Aleksander Miszalski referred to the matter, describing it as a situation requiring extraordinary measures. He noted that interference with existing planning documents is not standard practice, but in this case, the city considers it justified. According to the Krakow authorities, the tenement houses in the quarter of Józefa and Bożego Ciała Streets are in poor technical condition as a result of many years of neglect. At the same time, the mayor pointed out that the actions taken against the tenants raise legal doubts. People with open-ended contracts are protected by law, and the city council will offer them free legal assistance. The provincial conservator of monuments also issued a negative opinion on the conversion of the buildings into a hotel.
New local plan for Kazimierz
The area covered by the dispute is within the boundaries of the local plan for Kazimierz, in force since 2017, which allows for multi-family residential development and service functions. According to the city authorities, these provisions allow for the implementation of the hotel investment. The mayor has therefore proposed to start drawing up a new plan for the Józefa Street area. The document is to introduce restrictions on hotel activities and redefine the rules for the development of this part of the district. Future arrangements are to be worked out in discussions with residents and other interested parties.
The voice of the Church and property issues
The property is owned by the Order of Canons Regular of the Lateran. The mayor announced that he would ask the church authorities supervising the congregation to take a position on the matter. The spokesman for the Krakow curia, Fr. Piotr Studnicki, announced that the Metropolitan of Krakow, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, had reviewed the order’s written position and met with its representative. According to the information provided, the congregation has expressed concern about the situation of the tenants. It is worth recalling that the historical deed of donation from nearly 150 years ago contains provisions limiting the possibility of selling the properties and deriving profits from them. Despite this, in 2011, a 70-year lease agreement was signed with a private company, which opened the way for the commercial use of the tenement houses.
Three tenement houses in Kazimierz, Krakow
The tenement houses at Józefa 9 and 11 and at Bożego Ciała 24 belong to the oldest fabric of Kazimierz. The building at Józefa 9 was built at the beginning of the 17th century, while the tenement house at number 11 dates back to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The building at Bożego Ciała 24 originates from a 16th-century complex associated with the Basilica of Corpus Christi. Today, the quarter is one of the most frequented parts of the district. It is home to well-known restaurants and shops that attract residents and visitors alike. The dispute over the investment is one of the consequences of mass tourism in the centre of Krakow, including the process of gentrification and the displacement of permanent residents by functions focused on serving visitors. What fate awaits the historic tenement houses in Kazimierz? We will follow the developments.
Source: Kadr na historię, prawo.pl
Photos: Kadr na historię
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