Renovation of Items of Cultural Heritage on Mill Island in Bydgoszcz

The subject of the Project is the renovation and adaptation of a complex of listed historic buildings (dating back to the 18th C.) located on Mill Island (Wyspa Młyńska) in Bydgoszcz for the needs of the Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum, as well as land development in the immediate vicinity of the buildings.

In the spatial layout of the City, Mill Island¸ beside the Old Market Square, is the oldest and best surviving historic area of Bydgoszcz nd, at the same time, a unique spatial and landscape layout, entirely covered by strict conservation policy. The approximately 6.5-hectare area, located in a picturesque bend of the Brda River, is an example of a symbiosis between the natural landscape and architecture, subject to the course of the river.

In 2004 the Bydgoszcz authorities prepared a complex revitalisation plan for Mill Island that is aimed at:
• increasing tourist attractiveness of Mill Island
• extending the cultural and educational offer of the place
• improving the living standards of the inhabitants of the revitalised area
• creating better conditions for the development of small and medium size enterprises

The objective of the Project is the restoration of the cultural heritage of Mill Island as a result of which this functionally and spatially autonomous area will become a new product of culture-oriented tourism. Actions aimed at the preservation and renovation of artefacts will result in including them in the cultural life of the city and using them to a greater extent than before. Thanks to the completion of the Project, the city will be able to preserve and take advantage of areas of primary cultural and tourist importance.
 
The subject of the Project is the renovation and adaptation of a complex of listed historic buildings (dating back to the 18th C.) located on Mill Island (Wyspa Młyńska) in Bydgoszcz for the needs of the Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum, as well as land development in the immediate vicinity of the buildings. The complex of buildings together with their new functions includes:

• The White Granary, 2 Mennica St. – Archeological Museum
• The building of the former Royal Mint of Bydgoszcz,  4 Mennica St. – European Centre of Money
• The Miller’s House, 8 Mennica St. - a reception and information centre for the museum complex
• The Red Granary, 8a Mennica St –  Art Museum
• A tenement house, 7 Mennica St. Leon Wyczółkowski’s House

At the end of 2006 the Bydgoszcz Municipal Project “Renovation of Items of Cultural Heritage on Mill Island in Bydgoszcz” obtained a grant from the funds of the EEA Financial Mechanism. The grant amounted to 2,392,399 € (9,544,476 PLN), that was 85% of the projected investment cost.  The updated value of the investment is 7,500,000 PLN higher than the initial one and amounts to 18,865,100 PLN. The remaining expenditures will be covered from the budget of the City of Bydgoszcz. The investment implementation started in July 2007 and will be completed in October 2008

Supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Financial Mechanism