The second stage of the renovation of the Latvian Riflemen's Square, which has included the landscaping of an area of approximately 1950 square metres owned by the Riga Municipality, has been completed and the majority of the square has been landscaped, informs Jelena (Jeļena) Gavrilova, Member of the Board of SJSC “State Real Estate”.
“The Latvian Riflemen's Square has the potential to become a popular public open space, which naturally fits into the various national celebrations and commemorative events. We are pleased that this place in the Old Town will be put in order with the joint efforts of SRE and Riga Municipality,” says Gavrilova.
The landscaped part of the square has been resurfaced with new concrete slabs and the historic Swedish paving has been restored. A new frost-resistant layer has been created under the top layer, damaged water pipes have been replaced and the connection to the storm water drain has been restored in accordance with the technical regulations. The infrastructure for installing lighting poles has also been created.
The redevelopment of the Latvian Riflemen Square is one of the first projects where the state and the municipality are working together for a common goal - to create a pleasant and safe gathering place for both residents of Riga and visitors to the capital. The site is partly owned by the state and the municipality.
“Although the square bears the name of the Latvian Riflemen, the presence of the Museum of the Occupation gives it great significance. It is visited by the townspeople, as well as by our visitors - tourists and celebrities from other countries. The square is also next to Riga City Hall and can be safely called one of the capital's landmarks. It is therefore gratifying to know that, in cooperation with the state, we have managed to put in order this important place, about which the previous owners of the city for years did not seem to know a thing," says Edvards Ratnieks, Deputy Chairman of the Riga City Council.
SRE started the renovation of the part of the Latvian Riflemen Square belonging to the Riga Municipality in November 2021 after the reconstruction of the Occupation Museum complex was completed and a memorial to the victims of the Soviet occupation was established. As part of the reconstruction of the Museum, SRE also restored the state-managed territory around the Museum and the Memorial, which covers an area of approximately 1000 square metres. The municipality itself is preparing to renovate the part of the square on the side of the Stone Bridge in the near future.
The renovation works were carried out by the construction company Kvinta BCL, and construction supervision was provided by “Būvēlogs projekti” Ltd.
The costs of the renovation of the Latvian Riflemen's Square amounting to approximately 600 thousand euros (excluding VAT) are covered mainly by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (85 %), Riga City Council (12 %) and state (3 %) grants in cooperation with the Central Finance and Contracting Agency.
SRE successfully implements 44 projects of national importance, 24 of which are under construction. The total implementation budget for the projects is more than EUR 336 million. SRE provides professional real estate management and administration for 365 building and construction properties, comprising 1100 buildings with an area of 0.95 million m2, as well as land under buildings with an area of 602 ha, and 3536 land properties with a total area of 903 ha. SRE is one of the 23 Latvian companies that last year received the highest platinum award in the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Institute’s “Sustainability Index”, demonstrating good governance and sustainability of its operations. The company was founded in 1996 and is 100% owned by the Ministry of Finance.
