The construction inspectorate of the State Inspectorate has identified damage to the load-bearing structure of the underground "Stari Grad" car park in Rijeka, specifically the slab of Ivan Klobučarić Square. The owner of the car park, Best in Parking – Stari Grad Car Park Ltd, has been ordered by decision to remedy the identified damage, the City of Rijeka announced.
The Inspectorate informed the mayor by letter on 13 July, acting on requests submitted by the City since May 2025. The inspection team examined the car park and the square's surface, along with documentation provided by the City, including expert findings from the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka.
Ivan Klobučarić Square has been closed to the public since 25 May and will remain closed until the damage is remedied. The City reminds that mechanical resistance and stability are fundamental requirements for any building under the Construction Act, and that maintaining the building and repairing damage is a legal obligation of the owner.
Mayor Iva Rinčić stated that the City had not yet received the decision, so its content and scope were unknown to them. Unlike the square, the car park remains in use, a matter decided by its owner, as the City lacks the authority to ban the use of private property – only the State Inspectorate can do that.
Rinčić recalled that the owner's representative had publicly stated at the end of May that user safety was a "priority, without exception and without calculation". She has now called on the owner to honour that statement.
The condition of the car park, the owner's obligations, and the future of the square will be the central topic of the City Council meeting on Thursday, 23 July. The City has stated that the matter is being handled through institutions and expert findings, with the aim of full remediation and the return of Ivan Klobučarić Square to citizens.
