The 33rd year of the Casino in Slănic Moldova – Awakening
The famous Casino in the Slănic Moldova resort turned 128 years old in 2022, but its winding history now has an important landmark: “Year 33”. It is the year in which the return of the casino to the Slanice community was nailed down, after the grace year 1989 which was the one before the gradual entry of this objective into a deep shadow and degradation. The Deşeptarea newspaper is also now turning 33, in which articles about the first casino in Romania and the fifth in Europe have often appeared.
There is a lot of talk about the Casino building in Slănic Moldova even now, because it came into private ownership in 2013, but almost two years ago it was put up for sale again, for a lot of money. The City Hall of Slănic Moldova has now started an approach to move the objective to the status of an objective of public interest and has taken important steps to take it over.
I learned more about these even from the mayor of the city, Gheorghe Baciu. “The casino – says the mayor – is an objective without which we cannot make the resort more attractive, with activities for both tourists and citizens of the city. Cadirea was designed as a support center for medical recovery in the resort where neither tourists nor patients coming for treatment should be bored, but also for culturalization actions”.
In 2013, the building was traded by the “smart guys”, but also with the consent of the local Council since then, when 12 out of 13 councilors voted that it was not of interest to them. In 2019, however, the local authority approved the conceptual note for expropriating the casino. Things were stagnant during the pandemic, but in 2021 the evaluation of the buildings was ordered, because according to the Expropriation Law it is necessary to do an evaluation. Now the evaluation is already done, and the value of the buildings is approximately 385,000 euros. The next step was the opinion of the Ministry of Culture. But in the meantime the owner initiated the sale action. He got approval from the minister, who also said he was not interested in the goal. The County Council gave its opinion in the same way, but the Slănic Moldova Local Council, on this date, declared that it was interested in expressing its right of preemption. I mean take the building back.
Other interests, other than negotiation
“We formed a team of negotiators and negotiated with the owner – stated the mayor. He asked for 1.45 million euros per building. However, we, the City Hall, as a community institution, cannot legally give more than the assessed value of the buildings, because otherwise we enter a criminal zone. Thus, we returned to the conceptual note from 2019 and requested the opinion of the Ministry of Culture. I waited six months until I received it, during which time I made seven trips to the minister. The approval came in September and we discussed with restorers of historical monuments (even with those who renovated Bran Castle), and our Casino being a category A historical monument. Thus, on December 28th we have a meeting on this topic in Slănic Moldova”.
But also for this work and need money. It would cost the budget for a year and the casino town hall. “We found resources – says Gheorghe Baciu – and we will also make a public collection. And I think that in a maximum of five months we will be able to go through all the necessary stages. We also need the consent of at least two thirds plus one of the local councilors to bring the building into our ownership, and in 30 days we have to transfer the money as well. The current owner will be able to challenge the sale price, not the opportunity to take over the casino.”
The representatives of the town hall even found the appraiser who did the work in 2013. Then the building was bought for 175,000 euros, along with 5,800 square meters of land, but it was appraised at double. Therefore, they have now persuaded the assessee to arrive at the same amount.
“We are, therefore, at the end of the road – concluded Gheorghe Baciu. We have money for the renovation of the building, including from funds from the National Investment Company, with whom we also discussed for 7-8 million euros. For renovation, these bathrooms are easy to get. In the meantime, I declared the building to be of public utility so that it could no longer be traded. And we have a final court ruling on this. Thus, we drive away potential buyers to buy and convert to anything other than what they need. Because this building was designed for the community.”
Gheorghe Baciu, mayor of Slănic Moldova: “This project is a priority for me. In the front of the building we will also place a bust of King Charles I, during that period the Royal Casino was built. I also dream that the Balneoclimatic Institute will be in this building, in the form of a support foundation for doctors and specialists in the research of therapeutic resources.”