A new town centre will be built in Höfn under the direction of the same company that is developing the new centre of Selfoss. The largest fishing company in Höfn in Hornafjörður, Skinney-Þinganes, is expected to invest in the project.
This will be a large real estate development in the town centre, with plans to construct buildings containing residential units, retail and service spaces, and hotel facilities.
The declaration of intent is between Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður (Municipality of Hornafjörður) and the development company Landsbyggð ehf.
Landsbyggð has overseen the construction of the new town centre in Selfoss and operates the premises there. The company also purchased the old Landsbankinn building in Reykjavík city centre and Landsvirkjun’s premises on Háaleitisbraut.
In Selfoss, the first phase, covering just over 5.000 square metres, is already in operation, and work is about to begin on the next phase, which is five times larger, according to Landsbyggð’s website.
Höfn will, as it stands, be the company’s next town centre project. A representative of Landsbyggð said in a conversation with RÚV that negotiations are under way with Skinney-Þinganes in Höfn regarding financing. In fact, the fishing company initiated contact with Landsbyggð to bring the project to the area.
Sigurjón Andrésson, the municipal director, says the heart of the new centre will be located near the old slaughterhouse, which has recently been renovated.
One idea is that our town square will be at Heppa, and that the new focal point of our town centre will be here. Then there will be residential housing just to the north, and from there we need to begin planning and development for the area surrounding the inner end of the harbour.
Initially, a hotel building is planned for the end of the harbour, which would make a striking addition to the surroundings.
It is also expected that old buildings and warehouses owned by the fishing company Skinney-Þinganes will be removed to make way for the new town centre structures. Such redevelopment has long been an ambition, but now a major step has been taken.
Now there is a declaration of intent between the Municipality and the development company Landsbyggð for the construction of our new town centre here in Höfn in Hornafjörður. This is a source of great joy for us that the project has advanced this far, and the next steps will be to engage in dialogue with the community and local businesses. We have been working on this for some time and presented the first ideas some while ago, and it was Skinney-Þinganes that initiated these ideas. But now there is a party involved that knows how to make it happen successfully, and the work on planning will now get fully under way.
The next step is to begin consultations with residents and others with businesses in the town centre.
The declaration of intent provides for a local vote or survey on the plans at a later stage, as was done in Selfoss.
Source: Ruv.is
