Höfn residents to vote on new town centre plan
Monday 9th November 2026 on 21:45 in
Iceland
Residents of Höfn, a town in Hornafjörður, will vote in December on a proposed new town centre development near the harbour. The advisory vote will determine whether the municipality proceeds with an agreement with developer Landsbyggð, mbl.is reported.
The vote will run from 5 to 15 December, inclusive. Hornafjörður’s municipal council has said it will respect the result: if residents support the agreement, the zoning plan will enter the formal approval process; if they do not, the project will go no further.
The plans include a hotel, housing, retail and service premises, as well as public spaces. The proposed hotel by the harbour would have up to 7,000 square metres of floor space, three storeys and 120 rooms. Plans also show two-storey mixed-use buildings on Heppa, with homes and business premises, and about 85 apartments in two- to three-storey buildings on the Bárureitur plot. A public square at Hepputorg and an open space by the Báran sports hall are also proposed.
A continuous harbour walkway would link the town centre to the hotel plot south of the harbour. The zoning proposal says the aim is to create a connected, lively centre that reflects the character of the place, strengthens links between the town and the sea, and supports both public life and continued harbour activity.
Mayor Hjalti Þór Vignisson said the development could change the town’s appearance and help make Höfn a destination where visitors stay for several days, rather than simply a stop on their journey.
The tourism industry has become an important part of the local economy, the mayor said, and the development could strengthen the region’s position. Adoption of the zoning plan is expected next spring. If approved, construction of the hotel could then begin, with completion planned for spring 2030.
Landsbyggð has carried out several property developments in recent years, including a new town centre in Selfoss. The company used a resident vote there before proceeding, a model now being followed in Höfn.