It was revealed in 2020 that the university would build a new campus on the site of the building, which it owns, on Pollack Mihály tér behind the National Museum.

The building was a prominent location of the 1956 Uprising.

A tender for the demolition of eight buildings in the area was announced in October.

Local civic activists criticised the public procurement, launched without public consultation and impact studies.

In declaring the building a protected site, Pikó said “the government, the Catholic Church, and the university want to decide on the reconstruction without local residents and the district, and, despite my attempts to contact the relevant authorities, no consultation has been initiated, even though the works will affect the lives of locals for a long time”.

The cost of the project, including the renewal of several major buildings on the site, as well as construction of new buildings, is estimated at Ft 200 billion, with the handover scheduled for 2027.

MTI Photo