The Sugar Factory in Pruszcz Gdański
The Sugar Factory in Pruszcz Gdański is located in the very center of the city. For several years, the building and adjacent land have been owned by a Sopot-based company. Representatives of NDI Development told us about their plans. The Sugar Factory in Pruszcz Gdański operated from 1881 to 2004. Although it had been closed for many years, the National Sugar Company, which owned the land, did not consider selling the plot with the properties. Residents repeatedly raised the issue of selling the huge plot because, after all, the nearly 20-hectare area could be well developed. Finally, it happened. The company sold the land to a Sopot-based construction and real estate company. The new owner, NDI Development, wants to transform this place. What are their plans, and what exactly will happen in the center of Pruszcz Gdański? We found out!
This is How the Center of Pruszcz Gdański Will Change. The Building and Grounds of the Old Sugar Factory Will Undergo Revitalization!
Currently, the Sugar Factory site has several buildings where quite significant amounts of sugar were once produced. From here, the goods were delivered to stores throughout Pomerania. However, World War II and the changes that followed did not favor the development of the sugar factory. Therefore, in 2004, it was decided to close production. And so, for many years, these areas remained closed to residents. In 2022, the Sugar Company sold the entire site with the properties to NDI Development.
As their first action, the Sopot-based company decided to open the sugar factory gate to residents. This is how „Cukroteka” was created, a meeting place for residents in the open air. Every summer, events, concerts, and charity actions take place here. However, the company does not want to stop there. They plan to completely transform this place.
„The Sugar Factory is a very interesting place – a large, undeveloped area in the heart of the city. We will develop and urbanize it. We will create a new urban fabric from scratch, and in fact, a new city center. This is a unique advantage of the Sugar Factory because, from an urban planning point of view, Pruszcz does not really have this city center today. The local plan for the development of this entire area was only approved a year ago,” says Krzysztof Granatowicz, Creative Director in the Design Team at NDI Development.
The city’s development shows how great the need to develop this area is. In the last 20 years, the number of residents has increased by almost 40 percent. „We want the Sugar Factory to be a midtown magnet. People are to be attracted by restored buildings surrounded by residential buildings with services, green areas, and recreational areas,” explains Krzysztof Granatowicz. „In the first stage, about 5,000 square meters of apartments and about 500 square meters of services will be built here, including shops, restaurants, a cafe, a bar – depending on the needs of residents,” adds Krzysztof Granatowicz.
The Sugar Factory buildings will be developed to create as many amenities as possible for residents and tourists. In the largest one, a hall will be created connecting the front of the plot with the back of the building, which hides a newly created city garden. „We want to create a multifunctional building. Retail and gastronomy will be located on the ground floor, and office spaces will be upstairs, while a hotel with about 50 beds will be created in the former production hall. The Sugar Factory is intended to keep local residents here, so they want to relax and spend time here instead of looking for reasons to leave Pruszcz,” notes Lucyna Borgula, Managing Director of the Sugar Factory complex.
The most characteristic element on the Sugar Factory site is its chimney. It was rebuilt in 1945 after war damage. It is 72 meters high, and its top is 79 meters above sea level. Many residents fear that the chimney, which is a kind of Sugar Factory landmark, will be demolished. As we learned, the Sopot-based company does not even have this in their plans. Despite the fact that the chimney’s condition is unsatisfactory and it has a slight deviation from the vertical, the Sopot-based company has a special idea for it.
„The chimney is uniquely situated, in an external bay, surrounded on three sides by historic Sugar Factory massif buildings. With the right perspective, it can be a kind of pillar, a structural support. One of the design ideas is to cover this space and create an internal courtyard. The chimney will change its current function to a column supporting a glass roof. Due to its specific shape, the covering brings to mind a 'glass dress,’ which, we hope, will become one of the symbols of this unique investment
