The army has a chance to sell the Sochor Barracks in Olomouc after years

Olomouc - The Ministry of Defense has an opportunity to sell the Sochora Barracks located near the historic center of Olomouc after several years. One interested party submitted a bid in the tender, where the barracks were being sold for a minimum of 67 million crowns. They have also already paid a deposit of one hundred thousand crowns. The offer will be evaluated in mid-January, said Jan Pejšek, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, today to ČTK. The ministry has been selling the barracks, which are situated near the planned Šantovka district, for two years. The initial price started at 220 million crowns.
    "This was already the ninth round of the tender. We announced the first tender in December 2011. Gradually, we reduced the price from 220 million crowns to 67 million crowns. We expect that the offered amount will be somewhat higher. The opening of envelopes and the official evaluation of this round of the tender will take place on January 16, after which it will be possible to announce whether the bid for Sochora Barracks meets the tender criteria," said the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense. He has not yet disclosed the name of the interested party.
    Administrative buildings are expected to be constructed on the site of the Sochora Barracks, which will border the new Šantovka urban district. Juraj Aláč, spokesman for the Šantovka project, declined to comment today on whether any companies associated with the investor of the new district had registered for the tender for the sale of the barracks.
    In the past nine rounds, only one interested party has responded to the ministry's offer, in the seventh round. The company Archcom Omega Praha then offered a purchase price of 89.5 million crowns for the sale. "After preparing the draft contract and sending it to the buyer, however, the interested party withdrew from the intention to purchase the site due to changes in the financial market," added Pejšek.
    The city has shown no interest in the barracks located in a lucrative area. According to Mayor Martin Novotný (ODS), he was deterred by the price being too high. "The initial investment could be several hundred million crowns to do something there. It was certainly not a project that the city would be interested in," Novotný told ČTK today. He added that he has no objections to the entry of a private entity. According to him, the location could be used for administration or housing.
    The army left the barracks in 2010. The area, with land spanning 1.7 hectares, was mainly used by the sixth field hospital.
    The construction of the Šantovka urban district, which is being developed on 11 hectares adjacent to the historic center, is expected to cost around ten billion crowns. It will include a residential district, a shopping center, and an office complex.