Bucharest mayor Firea, US Ambassador discuss main projects envisaged for Bucharest

Bucharest general mayor Gabriela Firea and US Ambassador to Romania Hans Klemm met on Thursday at the City Hall, with the two discussing the main projects planned to unfold this year in the capital city. Firea also provided a brief presentation of 2018 allocations for several investment capacities. 

Firea pointed out that health and retrofitting buildings vulnerable to earthquake risk count to the priorities of the current administration. 

"Since my taking over office as general mayor, we have taken measures to speed up the process of reinforcing buildings at earthquake risk. We set up a new administration department dedicated to this process, which has been extremely sluggish in the last 27 years, as the previous administrations have only succeeded in reinforcing 20 buildings. We can say works are underway on four heritage buildings in the historic center of Bucharest and another four downtown buildings will follow by the end of February. Our plans are to start works on another 20 buildings by the end of the year," Firea wrote on Facebook. 

Regarding health care, the head of the local government mentioned that the record high budget proposed this year for the hospitals administered by the municipality - specifically 111 million euro - is almost double compared to the previous years, and is intended for the modernization, expansion, endowment or upgrading of all hospitals under the City Hall's administration. 

Gabriela Firea reminded that the municipality is taking steps to build another three new hospitals in Bucharest with more than 2,000 total bed capacity - the Metropolitan Hospital and two other health facilities in Sector 3 and 6. 

Another subject approached during the meeting with the US Ambassador was the Smart City strategy for which the Bucharest City Hall "has already launched the auction" and which will define the priority actions for Bucharest to truly become a smart city in all areas. 

In his turn, Ambassador Hans Klemm underscored that any smart city strategy project adds value to a city. 

The diplomat mentioned that the US Embassy has offered the Bucharest Polytechnic University a grant for the implementation of a smart micro-network pilot project in the campus. 

The two officials also discussed urban regeneration and rehabilitation projects for the Bucharest central area which the City Hall intends to develop in the next period, with the Magheru Boulevard and the Jewish quarter topping the list. 

At the end of the meeting, the US Ambassador to Romania thanked the mayor for the support given by the municipality in organizing the Trade Winds event held at the end of 2017.

AGERPRES