On Wednesday, November 9, the foundation stone was laid for the construction of the “Majaland” entertainment center. It is being created despite the protests of residents and gardeners, according to whom the park will block the neighborhood. They are afraid of noise not only from the devices themselves, but also from people playing with them.
Although the first works at the intersection of Meteorytowa and Nowy Świat streets started in July, it is only now that construction has officially started. The investor took care of the decor – there was the shape of Maja’s bee, a time capsule and a hole in the concrete spout, into which not only the building certificate was inserted, but also mascots plush.
The opening is scheduled for 2024 and – as the foreign owners of the Majaland park said during the presentation – the center is to serve as a “starter” for other parks belonging to the Belgian group Plopsa. There are two more in Poland – in Kownaty on the border with Germany and in Warsaw.
A MALICIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD?
It is the complex on the western border that must be an excursion destination, and the attractions of the capital and Gdańsk – according to the supposed business model – must leave people wanting more.
Steve Van den Kerkhof, president of Plopsa, said during the presentation of the park’s assumptions that it would not be an awkward neighborhood. The Belgians arrived prepared, because during the presentation, the arguments of the inhabitants protesting against the construction were evoked.
THE PARK WILL NOT BE BIG
– As in Belgium, we are opening satellite parks, like in Warsaw this spring. These are smaller parks than in Kownaty, 25,000 square meters and about three hundred thousand visitors a year. We are currently building a park in Gdańsk, similar to the one in Warsaw. Together, we want to exceed one million visitors per year in these three parks. We do not intend to expand the parks in Gdańsk and Warsaw. The only big park will be Kownaty where we can expand – said Steve van der Kerkhof on the site.
“ONLY 300 THOUSAND VISITORS”
The businessman assured that the goal of the company was not to build a large park in Gdańsk or to imitate it in Kownaty. In comparison with the construction in Gdańsk, one of the largest amusement parks in Poland was selected – “Energylandia” located in Zator.
– In Gdańsk, we will have only 300,000 visitors a year, there are one million seven hundred thousand. The area of the Gdańsk park is 25,000 meters, no more than half a million meters. We are a completely different place – explained van den Kerkhoff, adding that the outer part of the park will not be similar to Kownaty mainly because of its size.
RESIDENT OBJECTION
However, these words did not convince the local residents, some of whom came to lay the first stone. The gardeners of the allotment garden “Przystań”, the nearest neighbor of the emerging Majaland, are mainly against it.
– The city underestimated the impact of this park on the environment and noise. We know what the traffic congestion is at the roundabout, when traffic jams stand on the ring road at rush hour and wait for entry. So it is now, and how will the next three hundred thousand people come? We are still full of fears – said Andrzej Wilanowski, President of ROD “Przystań” after leaving the meeting.
NOISE AND CAPS
Protesters still believe that the publication of a development plan for the area during the pandemic had a real impact on the possibility of voicing their objections. Another argument is the noise generated by cars, park equipment and the visitors themselves. As the locals say, “it’s hard to expect you to use an amusement park in silence.”
– The drive from Osowa to downtown now takes us an hour. The additional 600 cars a day that will appear in the Majaland parking lot will only clog up the already congested area. It is not comfortably accessible by public transport, and the investors did not think of providing, for example, a free bus, which we offered – lists Osowa District Councilor Paweł Zarzycki and the one of the leaders of the Majaland Initiative Group.
CONSEQUENCES OF PAID PARKING
Zarzycki also adds to the long list of unresolved issues… paid parking at the entertainment center. According to him, “People will roam the housing estates and streets of the neighborhood, and knowing the parking prices of Majaland Kownaty, no one will want to pay a few tens of zlotys if you can park in a public place right next to it”.
– I am mainly here to ask questions to investors. See if promises made that the park will cooperate with residents to minimize nuisance, or if those promises will actually come true. At the moment we have no information from the investor and we are full of concerns – he adds.
The initiative group is to meet in the next few days and discuss the issue. – So far, construction has won – concludes Andrzej Wilanowski.
Bartosz Stracewski / bp
