Future deputy in Brno wants to advance the construction of the concert hall

Brno - Daniel Rychnovský, who will replace outgoing Barbora Javorová (both KDU-ČSL) as the deputy mayor of Brno in mid-April, wants to focus on preparing the construction of the Janáček Cultural Center in politics. Brno Philharmonic musicians have been calling for the construction of a concert hall for almost 100 years. Rychnovský has been leading a team as a councilor that was tasked with assessing whether the project proposal is feasible. The team has concluded with positive results. The project should soon be discussed by the city council, Rychnovský told reporters today.
    "The council should approve the assignment for the next stage of the project documentation, and by the end of the year, we could have a zoning decision, if all goes well," Rychnovský said.
    The construction is expected to cost around 1.2 billion crowns. Approximately 400 million crowns will be spent on underground garages with 380 spaces. According to Rychnovský, there should be no problem financing this part of the construction. The area near the Besední dům, where the construction is planned, reportedly promises the profitability of the garages. "It has been found that these garages will always be in demand because it is the closest place where one can drive into the city center," he added.
    Funding for the above-ground part of the construction, costing 800 million crowns, is still being sought. However, according to Rychnovský, the existing studies have shown that the Janáček Cultural Center would not need municipal subsidies for its operation after the construction is completed; the hall with excellent acoustics for 1,200 people could be rented for various congresses, balls, and other social events.
    Operational financing is crucial; many city officials have previously stated that no more money could be spent from the city treasury on the operation of the concert hall annually than the amount the city currently subsidizes Filharmonie Brno. The subsidy is around 50 million crowns.
    The Janáček Cultural Center is expected to become the home stage not only for the philharmonic but also for the opera and ballet of the National Theatre Brno. The orchestra currently performs in the small hall of the Besední dům, while larger concerts are held at the Janáček Theatre. However, neither of these halls is suitable, as they have poor acoustics and other shortcomings. "We actually have no idea how our philharmonic sounds; we would have to go to some quality hall and listen to it there," said Alena Štěpánková Veselá, chairwoman of the Brno Society of Friends of Music, earlier.