The Starachowice Palace is becoming more beautiful – Kierunek Przyszłość

The hundred-year-old Palace in Starachowice is changing its face. Soon this place will be full of life and new energy.

Once all the work is completed, the facility will serve the local community. The aim is to create the so-called "Impact Hub", an incubator of social thought. - We will create a space here for cooperation, integration, exchange of experiences and mutual learning from entrepreneurs, non-governmental organizations, social leaders and youth - informs Marek Materek, mayor of Starachowice.

The palace was built in 1922. For those times, it was a very impressive building, built to house the director of the Starachowice Ammunition Factory. The heads of the Starachowice Plant lived there until 1939. After the war, the building gradually began to fall into ruin. Then various institutions moved in and out one by one. In the building, among others: for nearly a quarter of a century it housed a municipal kindergarten, which was closed in the early 1990s.

Now the facility will radically change its appearance, functionality and purpose.

For entrepreneurs

The Pałacyk Creativity Center is intended to be a platform for cooperation between entrepreneurs, social organizations, local government and residents.

It is a place for meetings and implementation of initiatives by grassroots, informal groups, social organizations and business representatives. There will also be space for social and cultural activities.

- We are currently working on adapting the offer and the specificity of this place to the diverse needs of entrepreneurs from the city and region. We invite companies from the SME sector, sole proprietors, freelancers and innovators. We want to connect individual environments to exchange experiences and establish cooperation - emphasizes President Marek Materek.

For NGOs and youth

- In the Palace's spaces we want to host active residents involved in the life of their city, representatives of non-governmental organizations and companies from the social economy sector. We hope that this will be a place where ideas good for the city will be born - adds Mayor Marek Materek.

Starachowice's youth, including members of the Youth City Council, will also find their place in the "Palace". These are creative, young people, willing to act, and the city authorities also intend to direct some of their projects to them.

Dismantled and built on

To make this possible, first of all, as part of the investment, it was necessary to demolish two historically later annexes to the Palace. The building was expanded with a new wing located on the north-eastern side, connected to the existing facility via a connector.

A new space is being created here. The historical part of the building is planned to include, among others: technical rooms, a cafe with facilities and an orangery, an information point, an office and exhibition room, toilets, a room for non-governmental organizations and office rooms.

The new part on the ground floor of the building will house: a conference and lecture room for 100 people, conference room facilities, a foyer, a cloakroom and public toilets.
Communication, youth space and open space will be located on the first floor. The work is scheduled to be completed this year.

The Starachowice Commune has secured several million zlotys for this investment. Funding sources come from two different programs. The main building is financed by the "Revitalization - Better life in Starachowice, a city that has found an idea for itself" program (under the Regional Operational Program of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship 2014-2020).

The new wing, connector and development of the surrounding area are being implemented as part of the project "Direction for the Future - Starachowice Local Development Program" financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 (85%) and the state budget (15%).