The building of the Slezan spinning mill in Frýdek-Místek will begin to be demolished

Frýdek-Místek - The building of the former spinning mill of the Slezan textile factory in Frýdek-Místek will begin to be demolished in the coming days. The reason is its compromised structure. The building is to be demolished by the end of May, but what will be created in its place is still unknown. The demolition was originally scheduled to start yesterday, but its beginning will be slightly delayed, said Luděk Korč, a lawyer for the property management of Slezan, to ČTK.
    The textile factory has not been producing for several years. The company has been in bankruptcy for five years. The removal of the building was authorized by the Frýdek-Místek building authority. A petition has emerged on social media from people protesting against the demolition, calling for the building to be listed as a heritage site.
    The bankruptcy trustee of Slezan, Jiří Hanák, stated on the company's website that despite regular maintenance, the condition of the building deteriorated due to extreme weather conditions in early 2013, and parts of the facade and masonry began to fall off. An independent expert opinion concluded that the building is in a state of emergency and either extensive renovation work needs to be done, or the building must be demolished to avoid threatening the safety of pedestrians and traffic. The trustee stated that the company, which is in bankruptcy, does not have the funds for extensive remediation. "The only solution left is to demolish the building," Hanák said.
    Petr Pavelka from the Frýdek-Místek city hall stated that the trustee's decision on demolition cannot be changed by the city because the building has never been owned by the city. "The city does not have the authority to interfere with the disposal of property that does not belong to it," Pavelka said.
    In response to a proposal to list the building as a cultural monument, the city rejected it in 2011. According to Pavelka, the reason was that the building shows a number of inappropriate architectural modifications and extensions that have violated its authenticity. "The building thus lacks the necessary extraordinary artistic or historical values for which items are listed in the cultural heritage registry," Pavelka stated.
    Hanák indicated that no decision has yet been made regarding the further use of the land after the building is removed. Korč said that no investor has been found who would be interested in the building. "Passions have flared that another shopping center is to be built there, but that is not true. The priority was to address the current condition, what will be there afterward will be addressed later," Korč said.
    Pavelka stated that according to the zoning plan, this is an area designated for commercial-type civic facilities. "The areas are thus designated, among other things, for establishments related to food services, accommodation, administration, education, healthcare, social care, but also for small-scale craftsmanship and for trade and services," Pavelka stated.
    The city could theoretically express interest in purchasing the land, which would require approval from the city council. "Subsequently, the city could announce an architectural competition and find an investor who would build buildings in the area that correspond to the original style and appearance, and their use would be in accordance with the zoning plan," Pavelka stated.
    Slezan was once one of the largest Czech textile manufacturers. Before 2000, it had over 2,600 employees, and even at the beginning of 2009, over 600 people were still working there. However, due to the economic crisis and cheap competition from Asia, the company significantly lost contracts and declared bankruptcy in February 2009. Within three years, Slezan managed to repay the debts of all of its over 200 creditors, which exceeded 300 million crowns.