Of the five and a half thousand votes, Nemupiai received 22% of the vote from respondents, and Upiai – 24%. It can therefore be confidently said that most of the residents accept and support the name of the new district where new businesses and residents will soon move in.
“The exceptional interest in the project and the residents’ activity came as a surprise. Of the 6,000 proposed names, most were related to Nemunas, and so we naturally understood that the project’s name must reflect this calling card of Kaunas. The proposed Nemunaičiai hooked us with its cosy sound and the diminutive word ties into it being a young district, which has the potential to expand and grow. Finally, the vote confirmed to us that Nemunaičiai is precisely the name most suited for the new residential area,” SBA Urban director of commerce Giedrius Muliuolis says.
Inspired by Nemunas and home
The first to propose the name Nemunaičiai was Kaunas resident Inga Bradūnienė. According to her, as soon as she saw the invitation to pick a name for the new district in Kaunas, she immediately began searching for the names that would be most reflective of the district’s spirit.
“I view myself as a creative personality and so, given the occasion and opportunity, I share my creations – quatrains, poems. This is why I immediately started to generate ideas this time as well. After getting better acquainted with the district’s vision, I realised that it is close to me and that every resident of the city would like to live in a place like this with its amazing views.
I proposed several names, which, I believe, were the most suitable. Most of them related to Nemunas and homes. Nemunaičiai was one of the proposals that I found to be the most suitable for those newly settling in the apartments near Nemunas, particularly those raising children or due to welcome them at their new home,” I. Bradūnienė says.
Homes that invite a return to Kaunas
With its new name, the project enters an active reservation stage. According to SBA Urban’s real estate development chief Egidijus Ripkauskas, vast interest in the project could be felt from the very get-go.
“Already today, we can see the clients’ needs and portraits. We saw that people are mostly interested in two-room apartments in the Nemunaičiai project, ranging from 41 to 50 square metres, and 57-65 square metre three-room apartments. The greatest advantages that potential buyers see and take an interest in are living near the river and the city centre. Finally, the project became something of an invitation to return to Kaunas. Kaunas residents who have long lived in Vilnius and finally decided to build their homes in Kaunas plan to settle in Nemunaičiai. Vilnius residents enamoured with the project’s spaces and planning their futures in Kaunas have also made reservations,” E. Ripkauskas says.
Today, active preparation is ongoing in the new area’s territory and foundations are to be built soon. During the first stage, SBA Urban will develop two residential buildings that newcomers will already be able to settle into in the first half of next year. The project plans for five 6-8 storey, A+ energy efficiency class residential buildings, which will house 155 apartments. Current or future Kaunas residents will be able to choose apartments of 1-4 rooms.
