Brno city councilors agreed to the repair of the house by Špilberk Castle

Brno - The Brno city councilors today cleared the way for the reconstruction of the burned-down house on Hlídka Street in the park near Špilberk Castle. According to the council's plan, the house will be repaired and equipped as an ecological education center for 25 million crowns, mainly from the European Union fund. For the city hall to submit the grant application, the councilors had to approve an exception to the city ordinance. They rejected it at the last meeting, but agreed today.
    The exception to the ordinance was necessary because the investment includes not only the repair of the house but also the addition of a new underground structure. According to the plan’s authors, it will have a green roof, which means greenery that exists there today. However, during the construction, the site will not be a park but a construction site. For a while, it is necessary to remove the area of about 600 square meters from the protected city greenery.
    The proposal reflects political disputes and tensions within the coalition. The proposal is championed by the mayor's deputy Martin Ander (Green Party), whose work has been criticized for a long time by the opposition ODS. The Green Party also has disagreements within the coalition, mainly with ČSSD. Some councilors are troubled by the fact that the Greens oppose the reconstruction of the Brno railway, which involves relocating the station out of the city center. They consider the project to be key for the development of Brno and fear that due to the disputes, Brno may lose the opportunity to draw European funds for it. In many votes and in discussions during the council meeting, they thus express their dissent towards the Greens.
    The city hall will submit the grant application in the coming weeks, as the call for the grant program will close in January. Then, according to Ander, the responsible officials will evaluate requests for about four months. If the grant comes, the repair could start in the fall. Otherwise, it will not happen next year.