After almost four years, the Rector’s Palace closes its doors on 7 December 2014 as a result of implementation of the project “Reconstruction and tourist valorisation of cultural and historical complex of the Rector's Palace”. The project coordinator is City of Zadar, and the partners are National Museum of Zadar, Zadar Tourist Board, ZADRAnova – Development Agency of Zadar County and the University of Zadar. The implementation of this project, approved for funding from the tender for development of business infrastructure (RCOP 2007-2013), started on 2 October 2014. The total value of the project is 37.799.651,00 HRK, with 96% co-financing. The project is to be implemented within 24 months. The project aims to create recognition of the new integrated cultural tourism product in Zadar through reconstruction and tourist valorisation of the Rector’s palace. The project resolves long-term needs for cultural presentation of the city, county and institutions in culture and tourism in a modern, innovative and attractive way. This will increase competitiveness of the new cultural tourism product, which is a direct incentive to entrepreneurship as an overall city tourist offer extension. The reconstruction of the Rector’s Palace will turn this part of the city into a new social, cultural and tourist center.

- By the end of this month, i.e. before the holiday season, we will announce the public procurement for works on the Rector’s Palace, which implies the selection of contractors. This is the most time consuming, and it is common that the process takes about two months, including the appeal deadlines. According to our estimates, the contractor should be selected in late February or early March next year. Naturally, unless for unforeseeable circumstances that could affect the deadline, we hope that this will not be the case. And the construction site within the Palace will be prepared by then – Erlic concludes.

Renata Peros, the director of the National Museum Zadar, points out that by closing the Palace for visitors, the National Museum still continues to work in the existing premises as planned for 2015. The before-mentioned premises are the City Loggia, the Museum of the City and Art Gallery, which is in its final arrangement stage.

Let us not forget that the City of Zadar received funds for this project from EU Structural funds, and by being the most successful among 15 other projects in Croatia.