Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property Slaven Radunović announced that the prices of apartments in the first block of the future Velje Brdo settlement will be 1.000 euros per square meter, while in the future real estate in this location will be more expensive.
Radunović announced that he will also check citizens' property records, so that in the election process it will be determined that they do not already own real estate, while he will probably stipulate that those who buy apartments in the new Podgorica settlement will not be able to sell them for the next 20 years.
He said this at a press conference, where the winning urban planning and architectural conceptual design for the construction of Velje Brdo was presented.
Radunović emphasized that the first block will be sold for 1.000 euros per square meter, while the price correction will occur in subsequent phases of the settlement, due to inflation and the increase in the price of construction materials.
"At the moment, it's a stretch of 1.000 euros, but that's a promise made by the Government and it will be that way. But for the next phases, it will still be extremely cheap, but we will probably adjust the price for these two years or for the jump in construction materials...", he said, adding that the criteria for allocating apartments will be formed based on all experiences from the "Thousand Plus" program.
He announced that he expects this project to receive a building permit in November this year.
For work from Serbia 100.000 euros
The first block of the Velje Brdo settlement will be built according to the conceptual design of Dejan Milanović and Grozdana Šišović, whose work was selected in an international competition conducted for the initial phase of the project. This solution by the team from Serbia was awarded 100.000 euros.
The second-ranked team from Serbia, "Taktika", received a prize of 65.000 euros, while the Slovenian-Montenegrin teams "Sadar", "Vuga" and "Dvarp+C" received third place of 40.000 euros. The works of the Croatian "Albatros arhitektura i urbanizam" and the Uzbek "Dizayn Fabrikasi" were purchased for 10.000 euros each.
Asked whether future residents will be able to resell the apartments, that is, buy them cheaply and sell them at market prices, Radunović stressed that this was the first item they had considered. He announced that they were still determining the measure of prohibition of sale, but that in the contract, citizens would have to commit themselves not to sell the apartment for a maximum of 20 years, that is, to conclude a purchase and sale contract.
He added that the right of inheritance will be implemented unhindered.
Radunović emphasized that he will check the property records of all those interested in apartments, while priority will be given to tenants, families with children, people with disabilities...
Radunović said that 29 works had been received, including those from Italy, Germany, Turkey, Denmark, India, Peru, Uzbekistan, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Albania...
"The assessment was correct to announce an international competition. We have two works that have a partial signature of Montenegro, so this was a good decision. All solutions provided different perspectives for the development of the space. Prizes were awarded for the three first places and two purchases," he emphasized.
Commercial construction later
Radunović added that such a project must be done in phases, that there were 15.000 interested parties, but that a separate competition will be announced, in which citizens will apply to select tenants.
He also announced that after several years and the construction of several phases of the project, he will offer plots for commercial construction because Velje Brdo will become attractive - and that it will stand out compared to other settlements in Podgorica.
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Radunović stressed that there will be no commercial construction until the Velje Brdo settlement is formed, while sales of commercial buildings will take place later. Radunović claims that a Congress Center with a hotel will also be built on this site, because Podgorica currently does not have space for such a facility.
He added that the slats have 50 square meters of space for children's playrooms and 16 square meters for joint activities of residents, while the issue of parking has been resolved through underground garages, each of which will have a legally sufficient number of spaces. He also pointed out that garage spaces will not be included with the apartments, but will be purchased at proportionately favorable prices.
Radunović emphasized that the first block will be sold for 1.000 euros per square meter, while the price correction will occur in subsequent phases of the settlement, due to inflation and the increase in the price of construction materials.
Asked about the price of the future 5,5-kilometer-long Velje Brdo boulevard, he emphasized that this information will be provided by the Ministry of Public Works, but that the amount mentioned is 30 million euros, while the price of the complete project will be known after the development of the main design.
Project allegedly unfeasible
Retired professor of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Radenko Pejović said that the solutions are solid, but that they are dormitories, that there is no planned parking space, and that initially a conceptual design for the entire project should have been made - and then phased elaborations should have been done.
"We have heard various figures for this project, from 10 to 25.000 apartments, from 40 to 70.000 residents. Such a project at this location is not spatially feasible, I think it is impossible," he stressed.
He added that a model with a lower number of floors was chosen and that a feasibility study was not done due to financing, water supply, electricity, and sewage, and that prices of 1.000 euros per square meter are unrealistic, considering that the market price is around 3.000 euros.
Pejović stated that this is the most expensive way to resolve housing issues, that it is being done immediately before the 2027 parliamentary elections, and that it is not known what will happen in the event of a change of government.
Radunović repeatedly asked Pejović to ask specific questions because, as he claims, his speech was political and made up of the dissatisfaction of everyone who had criticized the project so far.
"These are not cheap solutions, the state is giving away land, projects and infrastructure. This doesn't cost a thousand euros, but much more, but this is not for commercial sale and use...", he stated.
Protection from the north
Acting Director General of the Directorate of the Chief State Architect and Architectural Development, Mirjana Đurišić, emphasized that the jury was formed by prominent experts from the region...
Đurišić added that the remaining conceptual solutions were awarded and purchased because this is standard practice, due to the motivation of those who participate in the competition.
"In the first-prize winning work, we received a solution that represents an innovative humane housing project, flexible, inclusive and environmentally conscious. In terms of urban planning, the upper row of slats forms a continuous front along the road and represents protection from northern winds...", she emphasized.
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