In Saulkrasti, an old fishing-net shed is being turned into a hotel as the mayor seeks municipal funds for surrounding infrastructure

A small hotel is being built in Saulkrasti out of what used to be an old shed for drying fishing nets on the town's beach, according to a report prepared by the Latvian Television program 'De facto'.

Both the entrepreneur behind the project and the head of the Saulkrasti municipal government agree on one point: Saulkrasti is not a municipality where investors are lining up to bring their money. Given this, the local government leader is trying to ensure that the infrastructure surrounding the new hotel building gets built using municipal funds rather than at the investor's own expense.

Context

This approach is being framed as a gesture of accommodation toward current and potential investors, since Saulkrasti has historically struggled to attract major investment compared with other Latvian municipalities.

The 'De facto' report highlights a broader issue facing smaller municipalities that find it harder to draw investment: finding ways to support businesses that nonetheless choose to invest in local infrastructure or tourism facilities. The conversion of the old net shed into a hotel is presented as one such example, where private capital is being invested in a historic building while the municipality considers how to help finance improvements to the surrounding area.

The source material does not provide further detail on the scale of the project, the investment amount, or the specific infrastructure works being planned.