demolished trench, šanac, which encircled the downtown, were also used to fill the bog. The foundation stone for the station was laid by ruling prince Milan Obrenović on . By 1884 the bog was partially drained and buried under the rubble from all parts of the city and especially from Prokop. The station was ceremonially opened , though it wasn't completed. By September 1885 the embankment for the railway bridge on the northern end of the neighborhood, and the bridge itself, were finished, so as the embankment in the direction of the streets, with the drainage system. In 1887, city was still deliberating necessity of completely draining the bog and in 1889 decided to finish the works, announcing that works will last "for years". Filling of the bog from the Prokop was finished in 1898. However, the drainage system in the upper sections, at Sarajevska Street, was built only in 1904. After World War I, plans were made for further filling of the area next to the railway, in order to expand cargo section of the station. As the filling and construction of the embankments wasn't finished, the area was still regularly flooded. Industrialist Mihailo V. Bajloni built a residential complex along the Sarajevska Street during Interbellum. It was constructed for the workers of the Bajloni's merchant company “Bajloni & Sons”. The complex included both the company administrative buildings and social housing. In the early 1940, the city decided to finish the draining. On 9 March 1940, an agreement was signed with the "Danish Group" consortium, which was to pour 500,000 tons of sand on the area between the railway and the river, and from the station to the bridge. City already hired the same consortium (made up of Danish companies "Kampsax", "Højgaard & Schultz" and "Carl Nielsen") to start construction of New Belgrade, across the Sava. The "Sydhavnen" excavator was transported from Denmark, and was supposed to finish works by 1 October 1940. However, the excavator continued to work after the German occupation of Belgrade in April 1941. It finished works in 1943, completing the draining and filling of the marsh. In 1957, the complex of Belgrade Fair was built in the southern part of Bara Venecija. Characteristics Bara Venecija is almost entirely industrial and commercial area. Many hangars and depots, asphalt plants and oil tanks are located here, due to the proximity of both downtown Belgrade and Sava