Bratislava has rejected plans for two new housing developments on former vineyard land in Raca, a northern borough where pressure to build new homes is increasingly coming into conflict with efforts to protect the landscape below the Little Carpathians.
The projects, called Vyhlady and Sady, are planned on land owned by Racany Rosso, a company linked to businessman Ivan Kmotrik’s Grafobal group, the business daily Hospodarske noviny reported.
Both Bratislava City Hall and the Raca borough have opposed the latest plans. City chief architect Juraj Sujan told the newspaper that one reason was that the proposed development exceeded permitted floor-area limits.
The dispute is part of a wider debate over how far housing should be allowed to spread into Bratislava’s former and existing vineyard areas.
Development in the area is not new: almost two decades ago, companies linked to Grafobal built the six-building Racany Bianco complex, with nearly 170 flats.
Raca has been working since 2019 on a more detailed zoning plan for the Taborky-Hustekle area. The borough wants to limit development mainly to houses and low-rise blocks, set maximum building heights and determine how much green space must be preserved.
The plan has yet to take effect, however. Raca mayor Michal Drotovan said state authorities had prevented the borough from adopting it, prompting the local authority to file a complaint with the Transport Ministry.
Bratislava is also preparing a broader planning study covering vineyard areas beyond Raca, but that document has not yet been completed.
Development in the area has nevertheless already begun.
VI Group is building the Terrasy residential project on nearby former vineyard land acquired from Racany Rosso. The three buildings will contain 150 flats, ranging from one-bedroom units to penthouses. Construction is due to finish in the second quarter of 2028, and around 70% of the units have already been sold.
Racany Rosso has been seeking to develop the area for years. An earlier, much larger proposal envisaged 853 flats, a shopping complex, and almost 2,000 parking spaces, but faced opposition from residents concerned about its size and inadequate transport infrastructure.
Grafobal said that work on the current project was continuing and that the company was seeking the necessary permits. The start of construction and property sales will depend on the outcome of that process.
City Hall says development is possible in the area, but it should respect the vineyard terraces on the slopes of the Little Carpathians, which form a distinctive part of Bratislava’s landscape. (The Slovak Spectator)