Cabinet picks site of new government quarter

The Hungarian government selected an area near central Nyugati railway station in District 6 for the site of its planned new administrative quarter, György Szilvásy, head of the Prime Minister's Office, announced in Balatonöszöd on Friday.
The location was chosen from among three places the State Assets Directorate (KVI) recommended to the government at the beginning of November, after a thorough screening of 27 alternatives with the help of evaluating committee. The decision is in line with the recommendation of the Budapest Munipality.
According to the government, the advantages of picking the Nyugati area include its close vicinity to the Parliament and the current building of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FVM), the latter of which would host the Prime Minister’s Office (MEH). The approximately 700 employees of the MEH are currently scattered in eight different buildings at different parts of the city.
Another advantage of the Nyugati area is that most of the territory is held by state-owned railway company MÁV Zrt, government spokeswoman Emese Danks said.

The government announced this summer plans to sell its expensive downtown office buildings and relocate to a purpose-built complex as part of a set of cost-saving measures. The public-private venture was expected to utilize 160,000 square meters of space instead of the 350,000 square meters public administration currently takes up. Revenue from the sale of government office buildings was at the time calculated at Ft 100 billion (€377.4 million).