Prague developers company will announce more competitions for housing projects

Prague – The Prague Development Company (PDS), which was established by the city two years ago to prepare the construction of municipal apartments, plans to announce several competitions this year for the design of projects. Representatives of the organization informed journalists today. So far, PDS has launched tenders for the design of residential buildings near Palmovka, a kindergarten in Prague 14, and most recently an architectural competition for a building in Prague 5. This year, another six competitions are expected to follow.

PDS is a contribution organization of the city hall, which has entrusted it with land suitable for residential development. According to its director, Petr Urbánek, the entrusted land covers an area of approximately 620,000 m², and at maximum utilization, it would be possible to build up to 8,000 apartments with a gross floor area of 850,000 m². He added that the company plans a total of 56 investment initiatives.

Urbánek further stated that as of 2018, the city was preparing approximately 90,000 m² of residential floor area, with many projects essentially being dead. "After nearly four years, Prague has 890,000 m² in active preparation," he said. According to him, the first results of the competitions will soon be available.

In March, PDS plans to announce competitions for the design and preparation of projects for buildings in Zlíchov and Krč. In the second quarter of this year, there should follow an architectural competition for an apartment building in Vršovice near the Ďolíček stadium and a tender for the first part of a large residential project in Dolní Počernice. In the second half of the year, PDS intends to issue tenders for the second part of the Počernice development and for apartments at Černý Most.

The first tender announced by PDS was, at the end of last year, a competition for the design of a kindergarten with a gym and community center on Sicherova Street in Prague 14. This is to be created in the new center of the Na Hutích district, where the city also plans to build rental apartments and a square with shops and services. Additionally, at the beginning of last year, PDS announced a competition for the construction of two predominantly residential buildings near the intersection of Zenklova and Libeňský Most streets close to Palmovka, and most recently announced an architectural competition for the construction of a building between V Botanice and Matoušova streets in Prague 5.

PDS is also involved in the preparation of larger projects, including the mentioned plan in Dolní Počernice, as well as the upcoming development around the future new metro station D in Nové Dvory and a future new smaller district with a park in Palmovka. In recent years, Prague has been struggling with a housing crisis and rapidly rising housing prices, and the city leadership aims to address this, among other things, through its own residential construction.