Janevska: redesign of two FINKI buildings to be ready in November; tender to follow

Education Minister Vesna Janevska announced that the redesign of two unfinished buildings intended for the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering (FINKI) at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University campus is nearly complete and is expected to be finished in November, after which a public tender for a contractor will be launched immediately.

Janevska made the announcement while visiting the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering during the European Researchers' Night and answering questions from reporters. She said the plan now foresees work not only on the two structures next to the university Rectorate but also on an additional building for the Faculty of Physical Education, Sport and Health, which will be constructed at the faculty’s current site.

Design work, donation and a timeline

“We have seen the conceptual design. The project is near completion. Additionally, we have a donation from the Spanish government and an expert who is also participating in work to finish this project. I expect the project to be completely ready in November. As soon as it is ready, we will immediately announce a tender for a contractor, i.e., to start the construction of these two and another, third building,” Janevska said.

She recalled that over the past year the ministry commissioned a full redesign to produce a modern project for the two partially built blocks, which have stood unfinished for more than a decade. Professors from university faculties assisted with structural and technical analyses on a pro bono basis, and a separate call was issued for a company to prepare the new project.

The two FINKI buildings will be connected by a bridge under the new plan. Construction of the FINKI and the Faculty of Physical Education facilities began at the end of 2015 after a public procurement worth nearly €20 million awarded the contract to Beton–Shtip. Work was active until 2019, when the contractor entered bankruptcy; about €3.3 million had been spent on site by that time and building activity stopped.

Since FINKI’s establishment in 2011, students have attended classes in several buildings across the university’s technical campus; restarting the stalled construction would finally provide dedicated facilities for the faculty.

Photo: press material from the event