Ivo Sanader and the mayor of Split, signed an agreement for the financing of the sports hall which will start constructions in Split’s Lora. 
The president of the Croatian Cabinet, Ivo Sanader, and the mayor of Split, Ivan Kuret, signed an agreement about the joint financing of the rent for the sports hall, which will start being constructed in Split’s Lora.
According to the agreement, the yearly rent will cost 4 million and 930 thousand euros. Half will be paid by the city of Split, the other half will be financed by the Cabinet, and after 30 years, all of the objects will remain in the ownership of the city of Split.
Premier Sanader evaluated the signing of this agreement as a great day for Split and Croatia, and voiced his happiness that the construction of the sport hall was achieved by a unanimous decision, just like the decision in parliament for organizing the World Handball Championship in Croatia.
“We are a handball nation that has won big medals – from the world championship, to Olympic gold. This is why we need to show ourselves as good hosts, by organizing the World Championship in 2009. However, besides that, it is important to mention that Split, after the MIS (Mediterranean Games Split) in 1979, when Split got their Poljud stadium, it is getting another large sports arena which is important for the championship, but also for all sports in the city. With this, Split will enter the list of sports metropolises of the world”, said Sanader.
“We must not embarrass ourselves in 2009, and all of the sports halls from Zagreb to Porec, Osijek, Zadar and Split will be built on time, and finished by December 15, 2008”, said Sanader. He also gave comfort to those who doubt that a sports hall can be built this quickly, because for example, the stadium in Poljud, Split, was built for MIS in the very short time span of one year. He added that he will personally seek weekly reports in order to monitor the construction of the hall.
He said that Zadar has made the most progress, which is nearing the end of construction work for its sports hall, however regardless of the championship, Zadar’s residents has already decided to build a hall. Because the sports hall in Zadar is already 90 percent complete, the government has not helped finance its construction, but will help through other means of financing, as is being done with all of the cities that will host the World Handball Championship in 2009, said the president of the Cabinet.
Split’s mayor Ivan Kuret mentioned that the total amount that will be invested into Split’s sports hall will be 150 million euros. The investor is a consortium which is in the process of registering a company for the purpose of leading the construction of the sport hall.
“Within 15 days, all administrative work will be complete, and then the demanding and hard job of constructing the hall to be finished by mid 2008 begins. All of the other projects alongside the sports hall in Lora, will be constructed in the second phase which will be finished by 2010”, said Split’s mayor.
The signing of the agreement was attended by the minister of finance Ivan Suker, vice-president of the Croatian Cabinet, Polancec, and members of Split’s city government.
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