One of Split's most striking derelict buildings is finally getting a second life. The former Dalmacijavino winery, a modernist landmark by Croatian architect Stanko Fabris, sits right where Katalinića brig meets the city's port and the open sea — arguably one of the best locations in the whole city. For years it has stood abandoned and crumbling. Now, after more than two years of waiting, the Split Port Authority has secured a location permit to repurpose it, and the estimated value of the concession on the table is a hefty €600 million.
The building is protected by the Conservation Department of the Ministry of Culture, so the redevelopment will follow strict conservation guidelines. The Port Authority did the groundwork first: economic and legal studies run with the University of Split, an international expression of interest from potential concessionaires, and a full documentation package submitted to the City of Split. With the permit in hand, an international tender for the concession of the building and its surroundings is set to follow.
So what will actually appear on Split's Eastern Coast? Quite a lot, if the city's Master Plan holds. Two garages with around 500 parking spaces are planned, which should ease the chronic congestion of stationary traffic clogging the port area. The passenger terminal space can be expanded — good news for anyone arriving by ferry — alongside new hospitality venues and even a hotel of roughly a hundred rooms.
For travellers, this matters more than it might sound. Split is the main gateway to the Dalmatian islands, and its port is often a traveller's first and last impression of the city. Anyone who has dragged luggage through the current port chaos in peak summer knows the difference a proper passenger complex could make. A hotel on the waterfront, better parking, and a restored architectural gem would change how arrivals and departures feel — and give the Eastern Coast, long the scruffy side of the harbour, a genuine draw of its own.
There's no completion date yet. The tender process still has to run its course, and heritage-protected renovations of this scale take years. But the permit is the green light that unlocks everything else, and with a €600 million concession estimate, expect serious bidders. If you're travelling to Split in the next couple of seasons, plan around some construction; if you're dreaming about a future trip, imagine stepping off a ferry from Hvar or Brač into a revitalised waterfront with restaurants, a hotel and somewhere sensible to park. The Dalmacijavino building has been waiting decades for this — and travellers will be among the main beneficiaries when it finally opens.
