On the site of the Jewelry Plant: housing, offices and a school. Projects of large-scale development presented in Lviv

Lviv plans large-scale development of two neighboring territories at once: the former Jewelry Plant on Akademika Pidstryhacha Street and a site of the Institute of Applied Problems of Mechanics and Mathematics on Naukova Street. Instead of industrial and scientific facilities, residential quarters, offices, apartments and a municipal school may appear here. The investor promises to finance its construction.

Both projects were considered by the Lviv Architectural and Urban Planning Council. At the same time, during the discussion, specialists drew attention to problems with transport infrastructure, insufficient land area for the school, and the geological features of the sites.

Housing and offices will be built instead of the plant

On Akademika Pidstryhacha Street, on the site of the former Jewelry Plant a new residential-office quarter and a municipal school are planned. 

The existing buildings of the Jewelry Plant are planned to be demolished, and instead, modern multi-story development of various functions, mainly residential, is proposed on this territory. This was reported by the project's chief architect Volodymyr Yosypchuk. 

Residential development is planned in the central part of the site, while in the south a municipal school for 700 students is promised. The investor will finance the construction. 

Also read: Naukova will no longer be the same: what is planned to be built in this district of Lviv

Due to restrictions from the airport's glide path, residential buildings will be no more than 10 stories high. 

Underground parking and shelters for two thousand residents and users of the buildings are also planned under the site, and all first floors will be given over to public and commercial functions: pharmacies, private clinics, and more 

On the site, residential development will predominate at 60%, and 40% will be non-residential, including offices and apartments. 

The architect also added that the team is still looking for facade solutions, but overall it should be simple-to-implement modern architecture with a main emphasis on public zones.

The architect also noted that since the site has certain geological problems related to karst hazard zones, additional studies had to be carried out, but he assured that there is experience in handling such matters for safe construction.

Also, due to the features of the planned development area, networks that must cope well with rainwater require special attention. 

There were comments on the school's territory, in particular, specialists noted that for the construction of a general secondary educational institution for 700 children, half a hectare of territory is too little, in particular, state building standards require at least two hectares. 

There were also comments on road infrastructure, since the site already has traffic problems, in particular, exits onto Naukova Street are often blocked, and traffic from Truskavetska Street is congested; such large-scale construction will significantly worsen this situation.   

A residential quarter is planned on the institute's territory

New construction is also planned nearby, on Naukova Street, 3b, on the territory of the Institute of Applied Problems of Mechanics and Mathematics named after Ya. S. Pidstryhach. The institute is the project client, while the investor has investment obligations to the city and the institute. 

A 0.8-hectare plot is provided on this territory for the construction of residential and non-residential buildings. The plot will be built mainly with 8-story residential buildings, and a non-residential building of 3-4 stories is also planned. The project also provides for the construction of an underground parking lot. 

We should add that the project presented at the urban planning council will be further refined, and for construction to begin, investors must obtain urban planning conditions and restrictions. 

It should be noted that the customers of the presented urban planning calculation projects for new construction are the Lviv Jewelry Plant and the Institute of Applied Problems of Mechanics and Mathematics. However, construction on these plots is likely to be carried out by LLC "Bud Invest Com-3" and LLC "Bud Invest Com-4". The companies also take on all costs for developing project documentation, conducting expert review, and building the educational institution.

The owner of these companies is LLC "Bud Invest Com", which belongs to Volodymyr Dorosh. "Bud Invest Com" is currently completing residential construction on Naukova Street, 5. This group also has at least five current projects in Lviv and Sokilnyky – Newton, Falcon City, "Franko", "Pivdennyi", and "Pivdennyi DELUXE". 

The owner of the Jewelry Plant, by contrast, is another company – LLC "GDC Ukraine" (GDC Ukraine). In 2022, it acquired 100% of the plant's shares for UAH 185.4 million. The ultimate beneficiary is Pavlo Zvarych, who is linked to the "Intergal-Bud" group. The key figure in this property development and construction group is former MP from the "Party of Regions" Volodymyr Zubyk, who in journalistic investigations.

We should add that in a recent article in "Tvoho Mista" an architect expressed concern that Lviv does not have a cohesive vision for the development and growth of this district. For its part, a deputy of the Lviv City Council drew attention to the need to develop transport infrastructure, as additional construction could further aggravate existing problems.

However, a clear vision of the city's plans for the future of this territory has never been obtained. Neither Lviv's chief architect nor the deputy city mayor for urban planning has voiced their position. The editorial office's official request also has not received a response.

Meanwhile, the area between Stryiska, Naukova, and Pidstryhacha Streets is entering another stage of transformation. The story of the municipal school, whose construction is to be financed by investors, is telling. The very fact that a new educational institution is needed already indicates the scale of changes expected in this district.

The main question now is whether new development will be accompanied by comprehensive development of the territory, particularly of transport and social infrastructure. After all, if residential and office projects appear faster than roads, public transport, schools, and other necessary infrastructure, Lviv risks getting yet another densely built-up area with unresolved problems.