Increasing PUM by 18.3% in Jeżyce
We found a loophole in old planning records. Thanks to a new interpretation, the client gained an additional 1,240 m2 of sales area.
The developer bought a plot in Poznań's Jeżyce with a ready-made project, but the profit was on the edge of profitability. We analyzed the old local plan provisions and found a way to add square footage without breaking the law. This changed the financial outcome of the entire build.
The challenge
The investor had a building permit providing for 6,784 m2 of usable residential area (PUM). With rising material costs in 2023, the margin fell to a critical level of 4.1%. The bank began setting hard conditions before releasing the next tranche of the investment loan. The main problem was a rigid development plan from May 2012, which apparently limited the height of new development in this specific part of the block to three stories.
Our approach
For 7 weeks, our team (Robert Stawicki and two analysts) sat in the archives of the Municipal Urban Planning Studio. We checked every decision issued for neighboring plots in the last 9 years. We know these procedures, so we knew where to look for inconsistencies. We compared the definition of 'height of the upper edge of the front facade' with the latest administrative court rulings. The paperwork must be correct, so we prepared a 16-page technical report that challenged the office's previous interpretation.
The solution
We organized three technical meetings in the Department of Urban Planning and Architecture at Kolegiacki Square. We presented specific evidence that mezzanines in this project should not be counted as a full floor in light of local regulations. No unnecessary moves, we convinced the officials of our argument. This allowed for the roof to be redesigned and an additional floor to be created in the form of a recessed mansard, which was consistent with the building line of the neighboring tenement house.
Results
Thanks to our intervention, the developer obtained a replacement building permit in December 2024. The investment became profitable, and the bank released funds to finish the shell state.
Timeline
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October 2024Audit of project documentation and analysis of 2012 plan provisions.
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November 2024Submission of application to change the interpretation of facade height.
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December 2024Obtaining a final decision on the replacement building permit.
"I was skeptical because my architects claimed that nothing more could be done. Casacombug Urban Lobby put concrete facts on the table and squeezed an extra floor out of this plot in 2 months."