Restoration of Romania’s Constanţa casino delayed as bid gets contested

The restoration of the Constanţa casino, a landmark of the Romanian Black Sea coast, got delayed as one of the bidders contested the auction aimed at finding a company to work on the project.

The National Council for the Solving of Contestations (CNSC) admitted the appeal submitted by the company Eldiclau on the auction, initially won by Aedificia Carpaţi, Economica.net reported. The CNSC decision is not final and can be contested at the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

Last month, the National Investments Company named a consortium led by Aedificia Carpaţi, and including SC Remon Proiect SRL, SC Profesional Construct Proiectare SRL, SC Tehnoinstal SRL, as the winner of the auction.

Aedificia Carpaţi previously worked on the refurbishment projects of the buildings of the Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest, the National Bank of Romania, and the Palace of the Orthodox Church on Dealul Mitropoliei.

This May, the Government approved the technical and economic guidelines for the consolidation and restoration of the building of the Constanţa casino, under a total investment of RON 112 million (EUR 23.5 million).

At the time, Regional Development minister Daniel Suciu said the casino could turn into a cultural and entertainment center after the restoration, and host various cultural events.

The casino in Constanta was built in 1910. It was designed by Swiss-Romanian architect Daniel Renard in the Art Nouveau style. It was inaugurated in August 1910, in the presence of Prince Ferdinand. It has been closed for the public since 2007.

A third tender to renovate and consolidate the building of the casino was blocked in 2017 after it was contested by one of the bidders.

Last year, the casino was included on Europa Nostra’s 2018 list of 7 most endangered heritage sites in Europe.

(Photo: Pixabay)