Works on the ground floor of the Great Pier, below the Old Town in Ulcinj, were completed on July 9th, while the reconstruction of the promenade from the Albatross Hotel to Cape Đerane could begin on October 1st.
This is stated in the response of the Public Company for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro to questions from "Vijesti" about the implementation of two projects financed from the budget of that state-owned company.
Although the Velika Skela area was designed as a square, promenade, and a place intended for holding cultural, tourist, and other public events, it will also serve as a parking lot during this season.
The project leader for the implementation of the Velika Skela ground-level development project, worth around 300.000 euros, was the Municipality of Ulcinj, namely the Agency for Construction and Development of Ulcinj, while Morsko dobro provided the money for its implementation.
"The handover commission, consisting of representatives of the Municipality of Ulcinj, the Agency for Construction and Development of Ulcinj, the Coastal Zone Authority, as the project financier, and the contractor, reviewed the completed works and concluded that all contracted works were completed in full. With the completion of this project, the coastal infrastructure in Ulcinj has been improved, to the benefit of citizens and visitors," the response reads.
The Coastal Zone emphasizes that the project is the result of cooperation between the Municipality of Ulcinj, as the implementation leader, and that public company, which provided the financial resources.
They state that the Velika Skela plateau represents the largest open public space in Ulcinj, intended for holding cultural, tourist and other public events of importance to the city and its visitors.
"The valid planning documentation defines this space as a square, which was the starting point for its development. Its purpose remains public, with the aim of serving citizens and visitors as a representative space for the organization of various cultural, tourist and social events," the response states.
However, it remains unclear what will happen to the originally planned, multi-million project, whose implementation began in October 2022. The deadline for completion of the works was 120 days, but the project has not been fully implemented to this day.
The works were delayed from the beginning due to the mismatch between the project documentation and the situation on the ground, administrative obstacles related to planning documents, and waiting for changes to the State Location Study for the second phase, which is why the project implementation was temporarily postponed.
For the first phase, Morsko dobro allocated around 800.000 euros, while with the second phase, the total investment value was supposed to be close to one million euros.
The project planned to develop an area of approximately 4.600 square meters as a square-pier, with a green belt of indigenous plants along the rocks at the foot of the Old Town.
Additional facilities were also planned, such as benches, public lighting, pine and olive trees, while the protection of the Velika Skela from the impact of waves was to be ensured by the construction of an underwater breakwater.
The prerequisite for the implementation of the second phase was the completion of amendments to the State Study for the “Sector 63” location, after which technical documentation had to be prepared and the investment continued.
With the implementation of the project, it was also planned that Ulcinj would have its first border crossing at sea, which was in operation for only one year.
The local government has meanwhile taken the initiative to make the area suitable for parking and vehicle traffic.
Thus, there will be parking on the Velika Skela this season as well, without an underwater pier, border crossing, benches, olive trees, pine trees and other previously announced features.
The Coastal Zone said that the project to reconstruct the promenade from the Albatross Hotel to Cape Đerane is in the final phase of preparation for the start of work, and that all that remains is for the Municipality of Ulcinj to issue a building permit.
"Morsko dobro has carried out all procedures within its jurisdiction necessary for the implementation of the project, including an open public procurement procedure, selection of contractors and expert supervision, as well as concluding contracts with selected bidders. The estimated value of the works is around two million euros including VAT," the response states.
The project envisages the reconstruction of a 2.187-meter-long promenade, with a 1,85-meter-wide path along the entire route.
Expansions intended for recreation and user retention are planned at four locations, with urban furniture, public lighting and accompanying facilities.
"If the building permit is issued after the end of this year's summer tourist season, the works are planned to begin on October 1, 2026. However, the start of works is conditional on the issuance of a building permit, which is the responsibility of the Ulcinj Municipality," the Coastal Zone Authority concluded.
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