Some land in Letňany will be reserved for the government district

Prague - Some plots of land in the Prague district of Letňany, affected by the planned construction of a new government district, will be transferred to so-called government reserves. Today, the government agreed to this, as reported at a press conference following the government meeting by Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček (for ANO). The goal is to prevent their potential transfer to private ownership, which would jeopardize the construction of the government district. According to Havlíček, there are 12 plots with an area of approximately two hectares, managed by the State Land Office.

The approved document indicates that part of the land tentatively earmarked for the construction of an administrative complex is currently the subject of legal proceedings, in which restitution claimants are demanding satisfaction of their claims. "Currently, a total of seven legal proceedings are underway,” the document states. By including the plots in the reserves of state land, the document suggests that any potential transfer of the land to the ownership of a non-state entity should be prevented.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has been discussing the construction of a large complex for officials in Letňany on plots of land, which belong, among others, to the capital city, for some time. According to him, the current situation is uneconomical for the state.

The Office for State Representation in Property Matters (ÚZSVM) previously informed that it would relocate 9,773 employees from 70 buildings to create the bureaucratic district in Letňany. It would save 175 million crowns a year in rent for these buildings and 273 million crowns in operation and maintenance.

However, from the list of buildings designated for evacuation due to the establishment of the bureaucratic district in Letňany, it is not clear how the buildings intended for the public will specifically be used in the future, according to an earlier statement by Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates). The property office has previously published the complete list of Prague buildings from which employees are supposed to move to Letňany.

Prague, among other things, demands that the state invest in the construction of a new hospital in this area in exchange for the plots of land, which would replace the outdated pavilion concept of the Na Bulovce hospital. Hřib also wants apartments and public facilities in Letňany, further demands state funding for the completion of the city ring road similar to what is happening in Brno, and also wants to obtain a property belonging to the state, where the city hall could move from the costly lease in the Škodův palác. He also wants to transfer properties in the Bulovka area to the city.