Marszałkowska Renovation: Where Did 4.2 Million PLN Go?

How Much Does One Bench Really Cost?

We analyzed 14 different invoices issued by subcontractors between June and August 2024. The largest item in the table is not asphalt or concrete, but elements of so-called small architecture. For the benches alone, made of heavy cast iron, the city paid a total of 286,350 PLN. We checked at the source – one piece cost 12,450 PLN gross. This is a price that provokes opposition from many, but the devil is in the technical details.

This amount included transport from a factory near Grójec and installation using special chemical anchors, which took a three-person team 3 working days. The manufacturer had to guarantee that the paint would not come off for 8 years and that the structure would withstand the impact of a speeding bicycle. For comparison, a regular garden bench costs a fraction of this sum, but here safety requirements and anti-vandalism certifications pushed the price up. Simply put – we are paying for the bench to stand straight for a decade, not two seasons.

Looking at the bills, we also noticed the costs of removing old seats. This is an additional 18,400 PLN for the entire removal and scrap disposal operation. Each man-hour was valued at 95 PLN, which, with 4 employees working for a week, gives a specific sum. Without fluff: these are the amounts that the city hall considers market-based, although we found two other suppliers who offered a similar standard 12% cheaper. That's it for the topic of urban furniture.

One cast iron bench with installation cost 12,450 PLN. We checked at the source – the price includes an 8-year warranty on the paint.

Greenery for Half a Million PLN

Another major expense was the plantings. 14 new silver lindens and 156 cotoneaster shrubs appeared on Marszałkowska. The total cost of the greenery, including soil preparation, was 438,000 PLN. This may seem exaggerated until you look at the technology. Each tree was planted in a so-called anti-compression system, which protects the roots from the pressure of cars parking nearby. The structural soil alone cost 67,000 PLN for one delivery.

It is worth adding that the contractor signed an agreement to care for these plants for the next 3 years. This means that if a tree withers in July 2025, the company must replace it at its own expense. This 'safety valve' in the contract cost the city approximately 42,000 PLN per year. This is a typical example where we pay more upfront so we don't have to worry later. We checked at the source, and indeed, in previous years, trees without such care died after the first heatwave.

Granite That Will Last Generations

The surface took up the most time and money. Instead of cheap concrete paving stones, granite slabs measuring 50 by 50 centimeters were chosen. A total of 830 square meters of new sidewalk were laid. The cost of the material is 1.2 million PLN, but the labor and preparation of the base layers cost just as much. Work was delayed by 11 working days because old heating pipes were discovered underground, which were not on maps from the 1970s.

Each slab had to be cut by hand at the curbs, which increased the cost by 14% compared to original assumptions. Workers worked two shifts, from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, which generated additional overtime costs of 23,400 PLN. Did it make sense? Granite is practically indestructible compared to concrete, which cracks after two winters. However, we noticed that on a 12-meter section, the joints are already slightly washed out by rain, which we reported for correction.

During the renovation, 9 streetlamps were also replaced. The new LED lighting consumes 31% less electricity than the old sodium lamps. According to city hall calculations, the investment in the lamps alone will pay for itself after 3.2 years. This is one of the few points of this renovation that directly saves money in the current budget. Without unnecessary talk: the modernization was expensive, but technologically it stands at a high level.

Work was delayed by 11 days due to pipes from 1974 that were not in the plans. The cost of overtime was 23,400 PLN.

Did These Expenses Make Sense in 2024?

In summary, 4.2 million PLN spent on Marszałkowska is a huge amount if we only look at the visual effect. However, if we take into account that the previous sidewalk dated back to the Gierek era, the change was necessary. The biggest problem is not the amounts themselves, but how they are spent. The city could have saved about 340,000 PLN if it had given up the most expensive bench finishing variants and chosen domestic raw material from Strzegom instead of imported granite.

According to our findings, 83% of local residents are satisfied with the result, although they complain about the lack of additional parking spaces. The renovation eliminated 7 parking spots in favor of a wider pedestrian crossing. This is a political decision, not an economic one. We present the facts, and the judgment is yours. That's it for the Marszałkowska renovation. Simply put – this is what your city's finances look like up close.